Cherish
by Morningstar 236
Summary: Kakashi is put to the test with his relationship with Sakura. He wants to keep it secret, but she wants more. Will he be able to save their relationship before it's too late? Kakasaku.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story. _

**Cherish – Chapter 1**

Weary from the trip home, Kakashi was looking forward to spending some quality time with Sakura. They had been together for about three years now, keeping their relationship concealed from everyone, except for a few close friends. Neither wanted the attention that would surely follow if the news of their relationship was common knowledge. Kakashi kept his apartment for appearances sake but spent most of his time at Sakura's small house near the hospital.

Sakura had moved out of her parent's home shortly after their relationship had started, six months after her 19th birthday. She had taken over as the Head Director of the hospital when Tsunade announced seven months ago that she would be stepping down from the position. Sakura's appointment to the position made her the youngest person to head the prominent hospital. After her promotion, Sakura had bought the modest home in a secluded part of town, away from prying eyes.

Unbeknownst to Kakashi before the trip, Tsunade recently decided to retire as hokage. When she had approached Naruto about assuming the position, he had surprisingly asked for a few more years to gain the experience he felt was necessary to give his best to be hokage of the village. By default, Kakashi was chosen as the interim hokage, until Naruto felt ready to take over. Tsunade had surprised Kakashi by announcing him as her successor at the meeting of the kages that he was supposedly being a body guard at. He had to admit that being put on the spot with her decision in front of everyone forced him to accept her offer without complaint. He would have been more difficult if she had spoken privately to him. Tsunade was always a shrewd person to deal with, one that he had a healthy respect for.

After the meeting was done, she told him that there would be a few weeks for him to transition into his new post. Naruto was present, grinning as he watched his former sensei try to hide the uncomfortable feeling of his imminent promotion. He promised Kakashi as soon as he was done with his advanced training as a sage, which would take a few years, that he would step up to take over as hokage. Kakashi grumbled as he told Naruto that he better not take too long. Smiling, the young man saluted his former sensei and disappeared in a cloud of swirling leaves.

* * *

As the ANBU team that had escorted him back home walked through the gates, he reminded them of the importance of keeping quiet about the news of him taking over as hokage. The four nodded and disappeared after their future leader dismissed them. Finally rid of his body guards, Kakashi started to head out to Sakura's house. Rehearsing on how he was going to tell Sakura about his forthcoming promotion, he decided that flowers may help. He didn't know how she would react to him being thrust into the spotlight and the changes their routines would have undergo. Stepping into the flower shop, he quickly grabbed a bouquet of her favorite flowers.

The sun was starting to dim from the horizon when he arrived at the front door of her residence. Taking out his key, he attempted to open the door to no avail. To his surprise, the key did not fit into the lock. Verifying that he had the correct key and house, he attempted to open the door again. Puzzled, he went to the back of the house to see if Sakura was out on the deck, her favorite place to unwind after a long day at the hospital. Making his way to the back yard, he noticed that all of the lights were turned off.

'_Must still be at the hospital. Late night,_' he mused.

He placed the vase with the flowers on the table of the patio set. Writing a quick note that he was back home, he placed it with the flowers, and headed out to his apartment to get some much needed rest. He would come back in the morning to check in with her. Kakashi trudged to his apartment realizing that he was more tired than he first imagined. He collapsed on the couch as soon as he locked the door, not noticing the additions to his abode.

* * *

Kakashi was awakened, the next day, by the sun shining onto his closed eyelids. Yawning, he made his way to the kitchen to make some coffee. Becoming more alert, he noticed that there were a few boxes gracing his living room. Coffee now in hand, he looked into the boxes noticing a few of his things carefully packed.

'_Hmmmm…she must be doing some cleaning at the house,_' he told himself as he made his way to the bedroom.

The silver haired shinobi stopped abruptly as he made his way into the room. He was greeted by his clothing adorning his bed. All was neatly arranged, waiting for his arrival. Initially puzzled by what he saw, dawning swept over him as he remembered the fight the two of them had prior to his departure two and a half weeks ago. Sakura wanted to go public with their relationship and he adamantly declined.

The reason for her sudden change in heart, in his mind, was due to her last close girlfriend being married the week before. Tenten finally married Neji after a long courtship. This made Sakura the only one in her group of friends single. The now married couple had a similar hidden relationship for many years. After the wedding, Sakura had become insistent about not hiding their relationship any more. Kakashi had thought that Sakura would let the issue go, but he was suddenly realizing how important this really meant to her.

Grabbing some clean clothes off the bed, a glint from the dresser caught his eye. As he stepped closer, he noticed the necklace he had given her on their last anniversary, with a note lying under it. A feeling of dread washed over him as he picked up the letter and read it.

* * *

_Kakashi,_

_As you probably figured out by now, by your belongings and clothes placed in your apartment and your key not working to the door of my house, I am putting an end to this so called farce of a relationship. It is painfully obvious that it is one sided and your feelings are not the same as mine. Though I love you dearly, I cannot continue to be your dirty little secret any more. With our positions being so prominent now, our secret involvement would be impossible to continue. So instead of dragging this out, I have decided to end it, clean and fast. I hope you can respect my decision and not make this harder than it has to be._

_I will be going to Suna for a medical conference and will not be home for a few weeks. Hopefully by that time, I can get my emotions in order so I can be professional in our work relationship. I hope you will give me the space I need to move on._

_Sakura_

_P.S. - In case you are wondering, Naruto had informed me of your impending promotion of being hokage. I wish that you would have told me first, instead of me finding out from another person, but it made me realize how truly unimportant I really am to you! I cannot keep the necklace knowing your true feelings toward me._

* * *

Shocked by what he had just read, he absentmindedly picked up the necklace staring at the large blue sapphire in the middle of the setting. Remembering her reaction when he slipped it onto her neck and the joy she felt by the meaning of the gift, he realized that he had seriously misjudged her feelings about their relationship. Looking at the necklace in his hands, he gently tucked it into his pocket so he wouldn't misplace it.

"Damn!" he exclaimed as he rushed to the bathroom to clean up so he could find her before it was too late. Even though she said that she would be gone, he hoped that she would be back by now. Sakura was under the erroneous impression that he knew of the promotion prior to the trip and that he didn't care enough to share it with her. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Before he jumped into the shower, he summoned Pakkun.

"Yo!" the small pug said then proceeded to yawn. "What's all the hub bub?"

"No time to explain now. Go to Sakura's house and see if she is home. Don't let her see you. Got it?" Kakashi said quickly.

"What kind of trouble are you in now?" Pakkun said crossly.

"Never mind! Just go and do what I told you! And be back by the time I'm done with my shower!" Kakashi demanded.

The small dog muttered something about stupid human males and being sent on stupid missions as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Quickly, he washed and dressed himself. Waiting for his summons to come back, his mind raced on what he needed to do to get Sakura back. During the mission, he thought about her constantly, making him realize how much he really cared for her and how important she was in his life. He realized now that he had taken their relationship for granted. Fearing the worst, he didn't want to even think what he would do if he couldn't get her back.

Before his thoughts turned morose, Pakkun suddenly appeared in front of him.

"She's not there boss," the dog told him, "Hasn't been there for awhile."

Kakashi sunk into the chair in the living room with his head in his hands. His mind started racing on what to do next.

The pug watched him as he scratched himself behind the ear. Pakkun could only imagine what he did this time. His master was always getting in trouble for one thing or another with his mate. He couldn't understand why Kakashi wasn't more mindful of Sakura. With a heavy sigh, he was happy that he wasn't a human male, human females were too unpredictable.

"Did you need me for anything else, boss?"

"No, thank you Pakkun," Kakashi said despondently.

"Can I give you some advice?" Pakkun said as he looked up at the silver haired ninja. Kakashi looked at him and nodded.

"Stop being a fool and tell her how much you love her. You aren't going to find anyone else to put up with your crap and who accepts all of us. You know that. I don't understand why you can't just do that. You are making this too difficult. For a genius, you sure are brainless when it comes to these things," Pakkun sighed.

Kakashi just stared down at his ninken amazed at what he just said. The pug was right, he was making this too difficult.

"Thanks Pakkun. I'll see you later."

The small dog vanished again leaving Kakashi to evaluate his next move. First he needed to find her and then he could tell her how much she really meant to him. Hopefully she would listen instead of knocking him into next week. He knew that she would probably not forgive him so easily this time around, he had messed up big time. All he was hoping for is a chance to prove it to her so she wouldn't doubt him again. There was no room for failure. He didn't want to even think what he would do if she didn't. With a determined look on his face, he stood up and made his way to the door. Destination – the hokage's office. Tsunade would know how long before Sakura returned. Pushing all negative thoughts aside, he stepped out the door.

* * *

Four long weeks had gone by, and Sakura was still not back in Konoha. Kakashi had been inaugurated into his new position about two weeks ago and much to his disappointment, Sakura was not there. She had sent a message the week before his induction that she was detained in Suna due to helping them with some critical surgical procedures that the staff at the Suna Hospital needed to learn. Sakura had also sent her congratulations via hawk much to Kakashi's dismay. The note was cold and professional, so unlike the woman that he had grown to love.

His mood had darkened each day that his Head Director stayed away from him and Konoha. People thought twice before they entered his office. An angry Kakashi was far worse than dealing with the old hokage when she was drunk. Not knowing the full circumstances for his short temper, the staff hoped that the stress that the new hokage was feeling would dissipate as time went on. No one wanted to think that this was a permanent thing.

At the start of the fifth week, Tsunade burst into his office demanding his attention.

"Okay brat, what is the problem?" she said as she slammed the door and sat down on the plush chair in front of his desk, "Why are you terrorizing the staff?"

"Hn," he said turning from the window he was staring out of before she barged in.

"Don't give me that! What the hell is your problem? Can't you handle the job?" she said tersely.

"The job is a breeze. You have more than prepared me for it Tsunade-sama."

"So what is the issue?" she demanded. Watching him closely as he sunk into his chair, she realized what the issue was. "Ahhh…I see now, it's Sakura."

Kakashi looked at her stunned that she had guessed what the actual problem was.

"What did you do now Hatake? Is this why she is still out of the village?"

"Hn," he replied, not knowing what to say.

"I'll take that as a yes," Tsunade smirked.

There was a long pause before anything was said between the two hokages. Tsunade watched Kakashi closely as he labored on how to tell her about the situation. She knew about the relationship the two had and remembered how Sakura changed the plans of another staff member going to the conference in Suna abruptly the week before they left for the kage summit.

'_He probably said something stupid to set her off_.' Tsunade smiled to herself. It was obvious to her that the couple cared deeply for each other, but each was too afraid to admit it due to the bad relationships both had when they were younger. Both were fearful of being hurt again and it was affecting how they dealt with one another.

Tsunade sat there waiting patiently for Kakashi to tell her what had happened between the two of them. After a long pause, Kakashi finally handed her the note that Sakura had left for him in his apartment. As the blond sannin read the letter, Kakashi stood up and looked out the window again, hands clasped behind his back. He heard her fold the letter as she let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't know what to do," Kakashi softly said as he turned back to face her, "I don't know how to make this right again. I can't bear to lose her."

Tsunade could see the anguish in his eyes. The man was a genius, an elite shinobi, now the leader of the village, but when it came to relationships and expressing his feelings, he was lost. Tsunade had wondered about the abruptness of Sakura leaving the village. She had the same look in her eyes before she left but wouldn't confide in her what the issue was. All Sakura would tell her was that she needed a break and had to get away from Konoha.

Tsunade felt a pang of guilt that she hadn't told Kakashi of her plans sooner. Leave it to Naruto to confide in Sakura about her impending retirement. The idiot never thought through the consequences of his actions. Even if he did tell her that Kakashi wasn't aware of his promotion, she suspected that Sakura most likely had tuned Naruto out after she had determined, in her mind, that Kakashi hadn't told her about his new post. Her student could be very stubborn when she wanted to be.

"Kakashi, hopefully when she returns she will have worked her anger out and will be willing to listen to you," the former hokage told him, "but if I were you, I wouldn't wait until she comes back to show her how you truly feel about her. The longer you wait to contact her, the worse it will be. You do know how to be romantic, correct?"

Tsunade eyed him wondering if her socially inept successor had a clue on how to win over her prodigy.

"Of course I do!" he growled, "but I am open to any suggestions you might have." He looked at her with pleading eyes, hoping that she would provide him with the solution to winning Sakura's heart again.

With a sigh, Tsunade proceeded to enlighten Kakashi on how to melt Sakura's frozen heart and to bring her home where she belonged again.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story. _

_Please comment!_

**Chapter 2**

Sakura wearily made her way back to the Gaara's mansion after a long day of training with the advanced class of Suna's medics. Even though she was tired, she was satisfied with the progress they all were making in a short period of time. Keeping busy had kept her mind off of her personal problems, for which she was truly grateful for. At least during the daylight hours, she could forget the train wreck of her personal life.

Trudging up the guest house stairs, she mentally was looking forward to soaking in the hot spring out back and sleeping in late. Due to some administrative meetings, her students would busy all day tomorrow giving Sakura a much needed break to catch up on her sleep. Even though she tried, she couldn't get rid of the loss she felt from not being at Kakashi's side. She kept telling herself that all she needed was time, even though deep down she knew that she would never heal from this loss. Kakashi was her soul mate, her other half. Without him by her side, she was just a shell of the person she was before. All she could do now is to try to pick up the pieces the best she could and move on.

Opening the door, she was greeted by a large bouquet of orchids, ranging in different colors and sizes. It was a beautiful arrangement. She looked closer and found the card. All it said was "A small token for a rare beauty." There was no signature or name written on the card. She moved the arrangement to the bedroom as she mused who would have sent her the flowers.

There were more than a few men that had tried to pursue her since she came to Suna, much to her dismay. All she wanted was to be left in peace so she could heal her broken heart. Gaara had quietly told his medical staff to give Sakura her space while she was in the village, she found out later from his sister, Temari, much to her embarrassment. Sakura privately thanked her friend, the Kazekage, for his assistance the next time she had seen him.

Looking closer at the blooms, she noticed that all of her favorite orchids were in the arrangement. Whoever sent her the flowers had to have some money because her tastes were not cheap. Some of the orchids had to be flown in from neighboring villages where they were grown exclusively. Since there was such a variety, she couldn't pinpoint her admirer's village origin. She would have to ask Temari if she knew the florist that had delivered them so she could thank her mystery admirer for their generous gift.

Breaking her trance, she quickly undressed and slipped into her robe. Sakura quickly pulled up her long hair into a loose bun on top of her head and grabbed a towel from the adjoining bathroom. Before she left the bedroom, she plucked one of the white blooms from the vase, placed it in her hair, and made her way to the secluded spring behind the cottage.

The hot spring was surrounded by a lush garden in an enclosed area behind the guest house where she was staying. The water was pumped up from an underground spring into the pool that was made out of the native stone in the area. The steam that the pool gave off sustained the trees and flowers that surrounded it, giving it the resemblance of an oasis in the desert. Whenever Sakura visited Suna, Matsuri, Gaara's wife, would make sure that Sakura was placed in the cottage due to her love of the private hot spring.

Slipping off her robe, Sakura sank into the soothing hot water. She could always count on the calming waters to release the tension from her body. Stepping to the back of the pool, Sakura sat down and leaned her head back against the cool rock. Closing her eyes, she tried to clear her mind of all the stresses of the day.

As soon as she was relaxed, she plucked the orchid from her hair. Looking closer at the bloom, she noticed that it had a touch of pink on its lower petal. Tracing the large petals on the top of the flower with her finger, she instantly started thinking of Kakashi and the times that he had bought orchids for her. Even though he was hardened in front of others, Sakura knew that he was a romantic at heart. Once he found out that she loved orchids, he would surprise her with bouquets whenever he could find her favorites. He always made sure that she had a large arrangement on special occasions. The more she thought of him, the lonelier she felt. It felt like a part of her soul was missing. Soon tears were slowly trailing down her face. She wondered if he was missing her like she was missing him.

'_I must be tired_,' she said to herself and lifted herself out of the pool. As she made her way into the bedroom, she could feel her body weighted down by how drained she was. She quickly slipped into her night shirt, and collapsed on the bed laying the orchid on the bedside table. Soon she drifted off to sleep dreaming of the man she had left behind.

* * *

The next day Sakura was awakened to Temari banging on the door. Grumbling, she dragged herself out of the bed to answer the door.

"Rise and shine," Temari cheerily greeted her. "Time to get up!"

Sakura grumbled something unintelligible as she dragged herself to the kitchen to make some coffee. Before she could do so, there was another knock at the door.

"What is this grand central?" Sakura said irritably.

Temari just laughed. Sakura was never one to be an early riser and was cranky until she had her first couple cups of coffee. "Go get dressed, I'll take care of it."

After a quick shower, Sakura dressed and made her way back to the kitchen where Temari was sitting at the kitchen table. Before her was an assortment of fruit and two carafes filled with Sakura's favorite coffee. Confused, Sakura looked at Temari silently asking for an explanation.

"You must have an admirer," she grinned, "Do you have something you want to share with me?"

"I'm as confused as you are. Last night I came home to a huge bouquet of orchids," Sakura explained. "I was going to ask you if you had any ideas where they came from."

Sakura went back to the bedroom and brought out the vase with the orchids and the card. Temari looked over the card and couldn't find which florist had delivered them.

"I'll have to ask around," Temari told her, "They are very beautiful though. I wish Shikamaru was as thoughtful."

As they enjoyed the fruit and flavored coffees, Sakura's mind raced through all the men she had met while she was there, but could think of no one who stood out from the group. Whoever was doing this had done their homework and knew just what she liked. Soon Temari was talking about what she needed before the wedding and the shops that she needed to go to today, so the mystery of her secret admirer was pushed to the side for the time being.

After a long day of shopping, the two women made their way back to the guest cottage that Sakura was staying at. The wedding was in three weeks in Konoha. Temari was finally getting married to Shikamaru and moving to Konoha. Sakura was looking forward to Temari living close by. The two women had grown to be good friends over the years. After months of planning for the big day, they finally had finished all their shopping. Sakura was going to be her maid of honor and it had been wonderful that she was in the village to help Temari with the final touches on the blessed event. Helping Temari had given Sakura something else to focus on besides her doomed relationship, but she couldn't help to feel a pang of jealousy that it wasn't her getting married.

* * *

Over the next couple of days, Sakura kept receiving gifts from her secret admirer. The gifts were thoughtful but Sakura couldn't help but feel that she was being watched. She had told one of her students in passing how she was craving strawberries from home, and the next day there was an assortment of strawberries and chocolate waiting for her on the kitchen table when she arrived at the guest house. Sakura found herself scanning her students to discover which of them was leaving her all these gifts. Temari had made it her personal mission to discover the secret admirer. Both had failed to discover the identity of the mystery person.

Two weeks had gone by since the gifts started coming when Sakura was greeted by the hot spring pool being full of orchid petals and her favorite sake waiting for her arrival. Temari had followed her home, anxious to see what the anonymous admirer had in store for Sakura that day. Both women just stared at the scene before them.

"Who ever this is has it bad for you," Temari informed her pink haired friend.

Sakura just stared at her friend, not knowing what to say.

"Well, I will let you enjoy! I'll show myself out," Temari smirked as she left the stunned woman behind. "We'll be by later once Ino gets into town."

Not wanting to let the gift go to waste, Sakura quickly disrobed and settled in the balmy water. Sipping the sweet sake, Sakura relaxed as she started contemplating who her mystery admirer was. The orchid petals gave off a wonderful fragrance as they floated on the steaming water. The mixture of white and fuchsia petals looked like a blanket covering the water. Letting her mind wander, her thoughts drifted to Kakashi and how much she really missed him. In quiet moments, she couldn't deny her feelings toward the new hokage.

Thinking over the situation, she wondered if she might have overreacted, but she couldn't deny her feelings. When Naruto told her of Tsunade's plans, she had a sinking feeling wash over her, she couldn't even listen to the rest of what her childhood friend was saying after he told her the news. She knew with his promotion they could not continue their relationship in private any more. Later when she confronted him about going public, he adamantly declined. It had felt like he had plunged a kunai into her heart. She then realized at that moment that he did not feel the same as she did. He couldn't even share the news with her, she had to find out from Naruto.

Tears silently ran down her cheeks as she thought of the situation. She never thought that Kakashi would do this to her. After all they had been through, all that they had shared. He had been so sincere and loving, but she now realized that it all had been an act. With a sigh, she downed another glass of sake.

While Sakura was wallowing in her sorrow, there was a rustle in the bushes near the pool. Instantly, Sakura was alert grabbing the senbons in her hair to defend herself.

"Who's there?" she demanded, "Show yourself!"

Cautiously, a dog emerged from the brush.

"Akino, what are you doing here?" Sakura said shocked to see the ninken.

"Hi Sakura-chan," the dog said as he sat down, wagging his tail, "I really missed you and the treats."

Sakura chuckled. Akino was one of Kakashi's ninken. She had grown attached to the friendly dog as her relationship with his master progressed. Akino had taken a liking to her and would follow her around when the team was relaxing at home. Much to Kakashi's displeasure, the dog listened to her more than he did to Kakashi when they were at home and off duty. Putting on her robe as she left the pool, she motioned the dog to come near and gave him a hug.

"I'm glad that you are here. I missed you too, but this is a long way to come to say hi, Akino." Moving towards the kitchen, she started looking for a treat for her ninken friend. Finding some leftover boneless chicken, she placed it on a plate and presented it to the dog.

"Sorry, it's all I have on short notice," she smiled at the ninken and rubbed his ears, "Won't Kakashi be mad that you are not there?"

The dog blissfully dug into the meal presented to him. "He won't miss me. He's the one that…"

Akino stopped suddenly realizing he almost revealed the true meaning of why he really was there. His ears went back and he cowered slightly when he became conscious of his error.

"He is the one that what, Akino?" Sakura stared at him.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan, I'm not supposed to say," as the dog looked up at her dejectedly.

"So it was Kakashi all along," she mumbled after a long pause.

Sakura stared at the ninken in front of her. All the gifts were from Kakashi. He had sent his ninken to watch her. That is how he knew what to send her. The question was why he was going to all this trouble. Maybe the fool realized his true feelings for her. The awareness of who was actually behind all of this baffled her.

"The boss has been miserable since you left Sakura-chan," the dog told her, "It was horrible for awhile. He was mean and yelled at everyone. Everyone was afraid to speak to him in his office. At home, he just sat there looking gloomy, not wanting to train with us. When he did train, he did it alone and ended up tearing up the training fields. I have never seen him like this before."

Akino went on to tell her how Tsunade had surprised Kakashi with his new position at the kage summit and the difficulties he was having since she had left. Sakura felt a pang of guilt as she listened to Akino's tale. She left without giving Kakashi a chance to explain things, but she was still mad at the man due to his stubbornness about letting people knowing about their relationship. He had made her feel like she wasn't important, something that needed to be kept in the shadows.

"You won't let the boss know I blew my cover, will you? He will have my hide if he finds out," Akino pleaded.

A smile came to Sakura's face as a plan started to form in her head. "Don't worry, I won't let him know. It will be our little secret. Tell me, when does your replacement show up?"

"Around 11 p.m."

"Good, good," she smiled, "My friends will be here soon so you need to get back to your post so they don't see you. And no matter what you observe, don't worry, it will all be okay in the end. I promise!"

With a wag of his tail, Akino made his way back to the bushes to wait for Pakkun to arrive.

* * *

After Sakura dressed, she quickly wrote a note to send back to Konoha letting them know that she would be back by the end of the week. Summoning a messenger hawk, she attached the note and sent it off. Soon afterwards, there was a knock at the door revealing Ino, Temari, and Kankuro. Ino had come to Suna to help Temari move all her things to Konoha before the wedding.

As she greeted her guests, she shared the identity of her secret admirer, taking care that the ninken did not see or hear them. Ino confirmed what Akino had told her about Tsunade not telling Kakashi about his promotion to hokage until they had reached the kage summit. Sasuke, her now husband, had been part of the security detail to the meeting and had been shocked by the announcement. Sakura was silent for awhile as her friends watched her, concerned by her reaction.

"I have a plan to determine what his true intentions are, but I need all of your help," Sakura finally said, "Are you all willing to help me out?"

All three willingly agreed to help. Sakura told them of her plan and the roles each of them needed to play, the most crucial was the part that Kankuro needed to play. He wholeheartedly agreed stating that it would be amusing. Sakura thanked them all in advance. Hopefully this would work to her advantage and Kakashi would finally admit his true feelings toward her so they could be happy again. With a hopeful heart, she put her plan into action knowing the ninken outside would set her idea into motion.

* * *

Kakashi anxiously waited for Pakkun and Akino to show up at their appointed time the next morning. Pacing in his office, he wondered why the duo was late. A knock at the door woke him from his musings.

"A message for you Hokage-sama. It arrived via hawk and was decoded a few minutes ago."

"Thank you, Izumo," he said as he took the scroll.

After Izumo left, the two ninken appeared in a puff of smoke

"Yo," Pakkun said as they appeared. Both dogs were nervous about what they had to tell Kakashi. They knew that he wasn't going to like it. Even though Sakura assured Akino that all would be well, he couldn't help but worry about the boss' reaction to the news that they were going to share.

"Well?" Kakashi asked impatiently.

"Ummm…I have good news and bad news," the pug muttered as Akino whined, "Which did you want first?"

Kakashi just stared at his ninken wondering what game they were playing. "Spill it!" he growled.

"Well…Sakura likes the gifts you have been sending her but…"

"But what?" Kakashi was growing more irritated by the second with his summons.

"Well…last night she had some guests over and we saw them in the hot springs together."

Kakashi just gazed at Pakkun. "Yes, I know that Ino is there to help Temari move here before the wedding."

"Ummm…there was someone else there with Sakura," Akino blurted out.

Kakashi had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Who?"

The two ninken looked nervously at each other. Akino crouched down behind Pakkun hoping the boss didn't throw anything at them.

"Well," Pakkun said, then cleared his throat, "There was a man with them and the man was real cozy with Sakura. Yeah…real cozy."

Kakashi could feel the blood start to drain from his head as his ninken told him what they saw late last night. After their report was done, Kakashi fell back into his chair shocked by what he heard. Sakura was with another man!


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for everyone who left their comments or added this story to their favorites! I really appreciate the comments! _

_As always – __I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story. _

**Chapter 3**

Walking leisurely to the hokage's tower, Sakura was lost in thought about how she was dreading facing Kakashi. She had been summoned back a few days earlier by her mentor due to an emergent surgery that Tsunade needed assistance with. Shikamaru's father had slipped and damaged his hip a few days prior to her summons. The injury could be repaired but it would take two skilled medics to complete. Shizune was not available due to her pregnancy, so Tsunade had sent word to Suna for Sakura to return as soon as possible. The wedding was delayed for two weeks so Shikaku could heal from the surgery. Temari, Ino, and the rest of the wedding party would arrive next week.

Tsunade had briefed Sakura when she arrived home. The blond sannin had been waiting at her home for her arrival so they could plan for the surgery. Tsunade had also spoken to her student about Kakashi and his emotional state since Sakura had left the village. Sakura was relieved that he had missed her and regretted what had taken place between them, but she still planned on going through with her plan. Her mentor was relieved that Sakura had not turned to another due to the strife the couple was now enduring, but she questioned Sakura's plan to rile the now hokage. Tsunade had warned her of the consequences of her actions and how it all could backfire from the outcome she truly wanted. Sakura reasoned that if he truly loved her, that he would fight for their love. Not happy with her student's decision, Tsunade reluctantly agreed to staying mum about the plan.

Drawing closer to her destination, Sakura thought about everything her mentor had discussed with her. Part of her still wanted to teach Kakashi a lesson for dismissing her feelings and for all the pain that he had caused. Before she had left Suna, she discussed her plan with Gaara and he too had warned her about the consequences of testing Kakashi, but also reluctantly agreed to go along with her wishes. Kankuro was eager to make his debut as her new interest and tweaking the hokage's pride. They had decided that his persona would be an aide to Gaara and worked on his mannerisms so Kakashi would not suspect a ruse. To Kankuro, this was a thrilling way to test his abilities of deception with a worthy opponent. Temari and Ino understood how she felt and hoped that all would be right between the couple in the end.

Making her way through the corridors, Sakura finally arrived to her destination. Shizune was sitting at her desk waiting for Sakura's arrival. She had been alerted by the guard when Sakura arrived to the village and knew that it would be awhile since she had to check in with Tsunade.

"Hello Sakura. Good to have you back!" Shizune smiled.

"Hi Shizune! How are you feeling? Has the morning sickness passed yet?"

Shizune updated Sakura on her current condition with the pregnancy and how Genma has been taking excellent care of her. The couple had married about 2½ years ago and was blissfully happy. This was to be child number two for the pair. Sakura never expected the notorious playboy to settle down. Even more shocking was how devoted a husband and father Genma was. Sakura was happy that the couple was doing so well, but a part of her was jealous of their happiness.

"I guess I should go in then," Sakura reluctantly sighed.

"Good luck in there," Shizune said as she patted Sakura's shoulder in support. Genma had filled her in on the tribulation the couple was currently going through, a couple nights ago. Both of them hoped that Kakashi and Sakura could fix their differences and repair the rift between them. Each was good for the other and they could see the positive changes in both due to the relationship.

Sakura gave Shizune a weak smile as she knocked on the hokage's door.

"Enter!" Kakashi bellowed.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura steeled her nerves and opened the door.

Kakashi watched as the object of his affection stride nervously through the door. When she first arrived to the gates, he could sense her presence and had been mentally following her every move since. As he now watched her, he noticed that she had acquired a tan and looked outwardly content, much to his apprehension. Not knowing if she was happy to see him or if the new relationship was the source of her happiness, he decided to wait and see how their conversation went before broaching her about their relationship.

"Reporting in Hokage-sama," Sakura said as she bowed to him.

"Sakura, you don't have to be so formal when we are alone," he sighed heavily, irritated by her greeting.

"As you wish," she replied saucily.

There was an awkward moment of silence as each of them stared at the other waiting for someone to speak again.

'_So this is how it's going to be,'_ Kakashi told himself as he sighed mentally on how bad the situation really was. Thinking quickly, he figured talking about her recent training in Suna. It would be a safe topic to talk about and hopefully she would relax so he could speak to her about more pressing issues. The sooner they cleared the air about their relationship, the better.

"I take it that all went well in Suna. Training completed?" he said finally as he smiled at her.

"Yes, very well," she replied curtly, "The medics there were quick learners and grateful for the exchange."

"Good, good," he answered back, "Gaara was most appreciative of you helping them out. He has wanted to further his medic's capabilities. I'm glad we could help him out."

There was another long pause. Kakashi wanted to broach the subject of their disagreement but didn't know how she would react due to her defensive stance she was currently taking. Knowing that he needed to make the first move, he decided to just jump into the conversation he desperately wanted to have with her.

"Sakura, I want to apologize for our misunderstanding before I left."

Sakura looked at him like he had grown another head. "Misunderstanding?" she queried.

"Yes, I'm sorry that I didn't listen as well as I should have and didn't take the time to understand what you were trying to tell me," he told her.

"Hmmm…" Even though she was trying to control her anger, it started to flare as he spoke. Sakura was not going to make this easy on him, not after all the pain that she had gone through. "It was pretty clear to me how you felt," she snipped.

"Do you doubt how I really feel about you?" he gasped. Kakashi could hardly believe what she was saying.

"No, that was quite clear by what you said and by your actions, Hokage-sama! All I was to you was a play thing. Nothing more!" Sakura said tersely with tears starting to form in her eyes, much to her dismay. Not wanting to cry in front of him, she stood up abruptly and turned her back to him. "If there is nothing more, I would like to leave, please. I have a patient waiting for me."

"Sakura, we need to talk about this," he pleaded.

Spinning around, she faced him. "ARE WE DONE?" she growled.

Shocked by her show of anger towards him, he recoiled. Knowing that it would be better that they spoke and cleared up everything, he continued on, cautious in case she decided to become more physical. "Professionally yes, but..."

Sakura strode furiously towards the door. She hadn't intended to become so angry but his words opened up old wounds that weren't healed yet.

"Sakura, please," he implored as he stood up from his desk.

"Goodbye Hokage-sama. This conversation is FINISHED! I will have someone update you on Nara-san's progress," she snarled as she walked through the door slamming it as she left.

* * *

Kakashi sank back into his chair shocked at the display of Sakura's anger. He chided himself for thinking that this would be easy. From what he had witnessed, Sakura had been deeply hurt by his carelessness. Running his fingers through his hair, he racked his brain on how to proceed next. The thought that she believed that he never truly loved her disturbed him to no end. Slamming his fist down on the desk, he chastised himself for being so inept with showing his feelings and expressing them.

Kakashi heard a timid tap at his door. "Are you okay Hatake-san?" Shizune asked warily as she peeked through the door.

"I'm fine, Shizune," he sighed, "Sorry I disturbed you." Standing up, he wearily strode to the door. "I'm going for a walk. I need to clear my head. Clear everything for the rest of the day for me please."

Shizune nodded as she watched the hokage leave the room with his head hung low. Genma had been with Shizune by her desk checking in on how she was feeling when they heard Kakashi hit the desk. He had seen Sakura storming down the corridor as he walked towards his wife's desk. As his friend walked away, Genma just shook his head knowing how distraught Kakashi was. Genma knew how he would feel if the woman he loved walked out on him like that. Hugging Shizune, he kissed her, thankful that they were together and happy.

* * *

Sakura got herself together emotionally before she walked into the hospital. The greeting she received by the staff helped raise her low spirits. Working always helped to get her mind off her troubles. She checked in with the department heads before visiting Shikaku Nara to make sure all the previous negativity was gone before she examined him.

After she made all her rounds and examined Shikaku, she felt more relaxed as she made her way to her office. Sakura closed and locked the door after she told her assistant that she was not to be disturbed unless there was a dire emergency. Making some tea, she sat down at her desk and looked out her window mulling over the day.

'_How did this get so bad?'_ she contemplated as the tears welled up in her eyes again. The pain still was searing even though it had been weeks since everything had happened. Even though she now knew that Kakashi really did care for her, it still didn't take away the pain she felt by his neglect. Part of her was telling her to come clean with him, while the other part wanted him to understand the pain that she had endured for the past few weeks. She was so confused. All she wanted is to be held in his strong and comforting arms again. Tears quietly ran down her face as she thought of the mess her private life had taken. Tired by the stress of the day, Sakura put her head down on her desk and closed her eyes. Soon she drifted off into a fitful sleep, dreaming of the day's turbulent events.

Hours later, Sakura woke with a start, confused where she was at. Slowly she took in her surroundings and remembered that she was in her office. It was never pleasant when she fell asleep at her desk. Stretching, she undid the kinks of being slumped over on her desk. She noticed that the sun was setting as she looked out the window of her office. It was time to get home so she could get some proper sleep. Tomorrow would be a long day with Shikaku's surgery as well as two more minor surgeries, if she had time. She had made sure that her schedule was busy so she would not be disturbed by the new hokage. It also would be better for her mental status if she stayed busy. Gathering her stuff, she locked her office, and started her journey home from the hospital.

* * *

Kakashi settled down into the comfy recliner, with drink in hand, at the hokage's mansion to relax from the horrific day he experienced today. After he left the office, he went for a walk in the park nearby his office to clear his head and to decide how he was going to proceed next. This issue was far from over, he could be just as stubborn and persistent as Sakura when he put his mind to it. There was nothing of greater importance to him right now and he was determined to win her back no matter what.

Kakashi had sent Akino with a message to Gaara updating him on Shikaku's impending surgery and had asked when the wedding party would be coming to Kohona. In the interest of accommodating everyone, Kakashi also asked who was accompanying him for the wedding. It was Kakashi's way of finding out indirectly about his rival. He knew everyone on the list but Garra's aide, Eri Kasshi. From what he gathered from Gaara's letter, Eri was part of the medical corps in Suna specializing in poisons and was his personal aide for improving Suna's medical community.

'_Figures,'_ Kakashi muttered to himself, taking a big gulp of his drink. No wonder Sakura had become close to the man. Her specialty was also in the same field. Gaara had stated in his letter that the two had become close during her stay and Eri was eager to see the pink haired beauty again. The group would be at their gates nine days from now to visit with the new hokage and to attend the wedding. Gaara intended to stay after the wedding to take care of some business with Kakashi regarding their alliance and the upcoming chuunin exam in a couple of months. Eri also wanted to tour Konoha's Hospital to see what plans he needed to make to modernize Suna's Hospital. Sakura had personally invited the man to do so during his stay in the village.

'_Damn, I only have nine days to pull this off before this trespasser arrives.'_ Kakashi thought as he downed the rest of his drink.

From what his ninken had told him, Eri looked like he was a couple years older than Sakura, tall, with dark hair, and had been very amorous with the object of his affection. Pouring another drink, Kakashi mulled over his thoughts on how to win back Sakura. By the way she acted today, he would need to be persistant but cautious so he wouldn't sway her in the other direction. A plan was in order and he needed some assistance from some of his close friends so he could pull this off before everyone from Suna arrived.

While he was mulling over who he could enlist, there was a knock at the door. When he opened the door, Genma was standing there with a bottle of Kakashi's favorite sake with a stupid grin on his face.

"Hello my fearless leader! I thought you could use a shoulder to cry on, so I grabbed a bottle and came on over," the senbon user smirked, "I see you have started without me."

"Hn," Kakashi grumbled as he welcomed his long time friend into his home. "Actually, I was just thinking of you. I need your assistance."

Genma stared curiously at his friend, wondering what task he had in store for him. As Kakashi poured him a drink, he went over his plan to win back Sakura and how long he had to do so, asking Genma for his suggestions and help in accomplishing it in the next nine days.

* * *

Sakura had stopped briefly on her way home at the Uchiha residence to drop off a note that Ino had asked her to deliver to Sasuke. It was humorous to see her childhood friend contending with their three small children without Ino's help. The couple had wed soon after Sasuke had returned to Konoha. Ino had been thrilled about becoming his wife and help him restore his clan.

Sasuke had first asked Sakura about her feelings towards him and if she would like to become the next Lady Uchiha. After a long talk, they realized that they were just friends and that it would not work out between the two of them. Each wanted different things in life. Both were content just being good friends and team mates with each other. It had all worked out well for them in the end. It made Sakura feel good that her two friends were content in the life that they had made together. Sasuke was happy with his current life in ANBU, being a father, and husband. Sakura was content with being head director of the hospital. All she needed to do now is clean up the mess that her private life had become.

After a short visit with the kids and Sasuke, Sakura finally arrived at home. As she opened the door, she was greeted by numerous vases of orchids which were obviously sent by Kakashi. Pleased that he was still trying to apologize for his actions, she made her way to the kitchen to make some tea so she could relax. Sipping her tea as she read over the notes that Tsunade had written down on her part of the procedure tomorrow, she made her way to the bedroom to get some much needed rest. Tomorrow would be a long day. She knew that Kakashi was far from finished trying to confront her about the issue at hand and to be back in her good graces once again. She couldn't run away forever. Sinking into her comfy bed, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep surrounded by the scent of orchids. Hopefully tomorrow would be a better day than today.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the lateness of this chapter, but I got lost literally on the path of life. Between pneumonia and my job being phased out, it was hard to finish this chapter. But finally, here it is! Hope you all like it and as always, thanks for the reviews!_

_As always – __I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story. _

* * *

Chapter 4

Walking through the garden with her coffee in hand, Sakura savored the early morning sun on her face. Even though she didn't sleep as much as she wanted to, she felt refreshed and ready to take on the day. Confident in her abilities, she was looking forward to the challenge of the surgery this morning with her mentor. Strolling to the back edge of her lot, she noticed some workers digging near the river area.

Smiling, she waved at the men in greeting. The men nervously looked at one another as they tentatively waved back to the pink haired medic.

"Morning," Sakura greeted the men, "early start?"

The foremen gave some instructions to the crew and hesitantly moved closer to her so they wouldn't have to shout.

"Sorry Haruno-sama, we didn't mean to wake you," the foreman apologized.

"No, you didn't wake me," she smiled.

"Just doing some maintenance. We should be done in the next day or so. I'll make sure that you are not bothered, Haruno-sama," the man told her as he bowed to her and walked away to join his crew.

Walking back towards the house, she mused on how nervous the foreman was, but she had a way doing that to people inadvertently. She was well known throughout the village due to her position at the hospital. Brushing it off, she finished her coffee as she walked and went over mentally on the procedure she needed to accomplish later this morning. When she arrived back at the deck, she decided it was time to get ready to go to the hospital. There were a few things she needed to do before her first surgery of the day. Opening the door, she put her cup in the sink, and made her way back to her room to get ready for the day.

* * *

Surgery went well but there were a few complications with some of the ligaments and attachments in the area that was damaged the most. It had taken a longer time to complete with some extra bleeding, but it was nothing that Sakura and Tsunade couldn't handle. Sakura offered to stay at the hospital tonight to make sure that she was close by just in case there was any more complications tonight. She promised her mentor to look in on their patient a couple times throughout the night just to make sure he was comfortable and stable.

Walking back to her office, she realized how tired she truly was. The adrenaline from all the excitement from the challenging surgery this morning was finally winding down leaving her drained. She needed to refuel before she needed to perform the next surgery. She hoped that Moegi, her assistant, had thought to bring her lunch so she could re-energize. That was one of the things she loved best about the girl, Moegi always thought ahead so the little things were in place to make her day easier. As she rounded her office, she noticed Moegi wasn't at her desk. She was probably taking care of the stacks of paper that Sakura had left for her to take care of while she was in surgery.

Opening the office door, she saw that Kakashi had been by her office this morning. There was a large vase of hydrangeas and lavender roses. Obviously someone was helping him out because she didn't think that Kakashi really paid attention to the meanings of the flowers that he had picked. _(AN – hydrangeas mean to offer an apology and lavender roses mean love at first sight or enchantment.)_ The room was filled with the soothing fragrance of the flowers, calming her as she moved around her desk to sit down so she could relax. Sakura let out a sigh of relief when she saw the bento waiting for her on the desk.

'_That girl deserves a raise!'_ she told herself as she dove into the meal. Soon Sakura's energy was revived as she finished her lunch. She opened the last container hoping that there were some sweets. To her surprise, she found her favorite, anmitsu!

Just as she was going to start eating her dessert, there was a knock at the door. Quickly scanning the chakra signature on the other side, she was relieved that Kakashi wasn't on the other end. It was just Genma.

"Come on in Genma," she shouted. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"Hey Sakura! I got kicked out of Shizune's appointment with Tsunade," he complained, "Something about getting in the way and asking too many irritating questions."

Sakura laughed as she watched the older jounin sulk as he came into her office and sat down in one of her chairs.

Genma could see Kakashi's touches all around her office in an attempt to win her back. His mission was to prod Sakura for some information to help his friend in his quest. He watched as Sakura savored her favorite dessert as he pretended to sulk. It looked like Kakashi went all out this morning to make sure she was well taken care of after her grueling morning.

"So, whatcha got there?" Genma said as he playfully poked at her food.

"Paws off, Shiranui," Sakura growled and gently slapped his hand away.

"Awwww, come on Sakura-chan. Didn't your parents teach you how to share?" he needled.

Sakura just glared at the man sitting before her.

"I'm just kidding, just kidding," he smiled nervously as he put his hands up to make sure she wasn't going to knock him through the wall. If there was anything he learned by being married to Shizune, it was to never get between a woman and her favorite dish. It could be hazardous to your health, especially if you caught them in the wrong mood. He apprehensively sat and watched her savor the last of her lunch hoping it would soothe her disposition.

After she finished her meal, Sakura was in a better state of mind. Leaning back in her chair, she relaxed. There were a few hours before she needed to be back in surgery and she was going to take it easy until she was needed again.

"Sorry for snapping Genma, it's been a busy morning," she apologized.

"I understand," he grinned, "So, who are the flowers from?"

"Kakashi," she sighed as she absent mindedly played with one of the blooms.

"You don't sound so happy about that. Are you guys fighting?" he asked confused, even though he was well aware of the current state of their relationship.

Sakura went on to tell him about what had happened and why she left for Suna for so long. Genma couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman before him as she poured out the pain that she felt by her perceived rejection by Kakashi. It was obvious to him that both parties had misunderstood the other's actions. It was no wonder that Sakura wasn't letting Kakashi in by the emotions that she just expressed about how she felt about the circumstances of their misunderstanding. Genma noticed a few quiet tears rolled down her face as she explained the situation to him. To him that was a good sign. It meant that she still cared about Kakashi, which meant that there was still a chance to get the couple back together again. Even though he knew Kakashi's side of the story, part of him couldn't help but feel defensive about his friend's callous way of handling the situation. Sakura was like a little sister to him and he felt protective of the young woman.

"I'm sorry Sakura," he told her as he patted her hand to comfort her, "I didn't know it was that bad."

Sakura thanked him as she tried to judge on how much Genma knew about the situation. She was sure that Kakashi was going to enlist the help of some of his friends to help him get out of this mess. Genma seemed genuinely concerned about her and acted like he was hearing this story for the first time. She felt bad about the ruse but she couldn't have him running back to Kakashi telling him that this all was fake. It would ruin everything.

'_Time to turn up the heat,'_ she told herself.

"Well, that is all in the past now," she calmly told him.

A look of shock washed over Genma's face. "What do you mean in the past? What does that mean?"

"Well, I met someone in Suna. Someone who has similar interests and is interested in who I am," she told him with a smile on her face, "Eri is a medic like me and specializes in poisons."

Genma looked blankly at Sakura as she extolled the new man's positive attributes and how they were compatible. Honestly, he was not hearing a word she said. He was in shock. How stupid could Kakashi be?

'_Genius, my ass_,' the senbon user told himself. If Kakashi couldn't sway her in the next eight days, it would be an uphill battle for the new hokage.

Sakura watched the worry etch onto Genma's face and his eyes glaze over as she wove her tale. As she went on with her tale, the more his brow knitted with concern.

"Well, you will be able to meet him when he comes with the Kazekage for the wedding next week. He is one of Gaara's advisors," Sakura beamed.

"Oh really," Genma said apprehensively, "I will be looking forward to meeting him."

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. Sakura felt sorry for the senbon user and the position she just put him in.

"Well, I hate to cut this short Genma, but I have another surgery to perform this afternoon and I need to recharge before then," she smiled at the jounin, "Let's get you back to Shizune before she wonders where you have wandered off to."

The duo walked out her office where Sakura noticed that her assistant had returned.

"Hi Moegi. Make sure I am not disturbed for the next couple hours please. I will be in my call room, if you need to find me. Please make sure I'm only bothered only in dire circumstances. Tsunade is available until I'm done with surgery this evening."

The young girl smiled and assured her that she would make sure no one disrupted her.

"Oh, by the way, thanks for the bento! It really hit the spot," Sakura thanked her as she started walking down the hall with Genma.

"Bento? Ummm….thanks?" the confused girl said as her mentor left, not knowing what she was talking about.

* * *

Genma did not waste any time going to Kakashi's office to give him a piece of his mind about how he had hurt the pink haired medic, after he escorted his wife back to her office. Kakashi was shocked when his friend burst in accusing him of breaking Sakura's heart. The hokage had to remind the senbon user that he had not intentionally tried to hurt Sakura and that he was supposed to be helping him make amends to her. Genma had told him in no uncertain terms to apologize to Sakura before the day was out or risk losing her all together.

* * *

Sakura felt refreshed after her after lunch nap and was ready to get on with her next surgery. Making her way back to her office, she looked through her next patient's labs to make sure all was well prior to the surgery. Opening the door to her office, she was greeted by a familiar presence sitting patiently for her to arrive. Swearing under her breath, she made her way to her desk to face Kakashi.

"Hello Hokage-sama," she sighed, "To what do I owe the honor of your presence in my humble office this afternoon?"

Kakashi gaped at her as he watched her sit down in her chair. The tension in the room was thick as he gathered his thoughts together before engaging her in conversation. He was determined to have this out with her by the end of the day. It upset him to no end to have her so distant from him. He missed the closeness they had shared and the comfort he felt being near her.

"All went well with Nara-san's surgery, I take it," he inquired.

"There were some minor complications, but nothing we couldn't handle," she replied coolly.

"Good, good," he responded.

An uncomfortable silence followed as the two of them stared at each other. Sakura fidgeted nervously under his intent look. She hadn't been this anxious around him since she was a genin.

Kakashi cleared his throat and roused her from her musings. "You liked the flowers?"

"Yes, thank you. They are very pretty," she replied softly.

"You did get the bento? They sent your favorites, right?" he asked.

Sakura stared at him dumbfounded now realizing the effort he was putting out today to make her happy. She shouldn't have been surprised at his actions. Kakashi always made sure she was well taken care of when she was at her busiest.

"Umm…it was very good, thank you, but you need not worry about me so much, Kakashi," she murmured.

"Why not, Sakura? Why wouldn't I worry about the person that I care the most for?" he asked irritated by her coolness.

Sakura stood and turned her back to him so he couldn't see the uncertainty in her eyes. The pain on his face cut deeply to her soul. She questioned her logic on trying to pull this off. It seemed like a good idea at the time she came up with her plan, but seeing him in such agony hurt her. All she wanted to do is to comfort him and fall into his arms where she felt safe. She hadn't considered the toll it would take on her to face him and go through with this farce.

As Sakura quietly debated herself, Kakashi misread her actions and convinced himself that she was trying to ignore him again. His temper and jealousy began to flare. The thought of her in another man's arms was plaguing him ever since his ninken had told him what they had witnessed in Suna. The stress of the current state of his private life and the lack of sleep due to the strain in their relationship and his new position finally got the best of him.

"It's because of him, isn't it Sakura," Kakashi tersely said.

"What?" she mumbled, as she turned to face him. She was lost in her own thoughts and had not heard what he had said.

"That man you were cavorting with in Suna. Garra's aide," he sneered, with all rationality gone from his mind. "What is his name again…Eri, Eri Kasshi."

Sakura just stared at the man before her. She had never seen this side of Kakashi before and she didn't like it one bit. The man before her had lost all sense of rationality. The best course of action right now was a hasty retreat before this escalated beyond repair.

"I don't have time for this right now, Kakashi," she said as she started walking towards the door.

"Can't you see I'm better for you than him? All these years, haven't I taken care of you? I make one mistake, and I'll admit it was a large one, and you throw the years that we have been together all away?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he instantly regretted it. The look of shock on her face made him realize that he had pushed her too hard. He should have took his time and been more patient with her. Mentally he berated himself for letting his jealousy get the better of him.

Sakura knew that she had pushed too far by his reaction to her. Kakashi was usually a controlled person especially when it came to his feelings. It was obvious his insecurities about losing the ones he loved had surfaced. She felt a pang of guilt wash over her. He had confided in her how everyone in his life that he loved had left him in one form or another. She never considered how her plan would affect him if he really felt that he was going to lose her.

"Sakura?"

"I need to go," she said as she pushed her way past him to get to the door. She needed to get out of there before she lost her composure.

Kakashi was not going to let her leave again and followed behind her. Sakura made a bee line straight to the surgery suites hoping to find some solace behind the OR doors (_AN – OR is Operating Room_). Feeling his presence behind her, she quickened her pace. Finally, to her relief, she sped through the doors that served as a barrier to the outside world from entering the sterile area. Much to her dismay, Kakashi barreled through the doors not caring of their meaning.

"Sakura," he growled, "We need to talk right now."

The staff looked from the hokage to the head of the hospital wondering what was going on and why the hokage had entered the sacred area.

"No," she said stubbornly and resumed her walk to the interior rooms of the operating rooms, thinking that Kakashi would finally give up and leave.

Undaunted, the silver haired man followed behind her. The ancillary staff tried to appeal to the hokage to no avail. Seeing that he would not relent, Sakura spun around to face her pursuer.

"Kakashi Hatake, GET OUT OF MY OR!" she bellowed, losing what little patience she had left. "You may be the hokage, but this is my domain, my responsibility. What I say goes! If you value your life, you will leave now before I knock you across Konoha!"

A pin could be heard if it was dropped as all eyes turned towards the couple. The staff was amazed at how Sakura had just addressed the hokage. All knew about Sakura's infamous temper and gave her wide berth when she was enraged. Unconsciously, the staff took a few steps back not wanting to be in the line of fire if she became physical. All watched the hokage, nervous on what would happen next.

Kakashi stood his ground. His eyebrow twitched in irritation. He knew that once she was angered, it would be impossible to have a rational conversation with her and he was losing patience quickly because of her negative reactions. Swiftly going over his options in his head, he decided that he would give her space and try to approach her after she was done for the day. Hopefully, she would be in a better frame of mind and he would have time to collect himself so they could talk calmly.

"As you request, Ms. Haruno," he declared with a forced smile, "but we **will** continue this conversation later. I expect to see you in my office before the day is done."

With that Kakashi spun on his heel and abruptly made his way out the doors not giving Sakura time to retort. A few minutes later, she saw two of his personal ANBU guards stationed in front of the doors. There was no way for her to leave without him knowing since both shinobi were specialists in surveillance. Sakura could feel all eyes upon her waiting for her reaction.

With a heavy sign, she made her way to the surgical lounge to regain her composure and to ready herself for the task at hand. After she was done, she would need to decide how to proceed in regards to dealing with Kakashi. As she walked down the hallway, she couldn't help but smile to herself. She, Sakura Haruno, had made the stoic Kakashi Hatake, Copy Nin and Hokage, jealous!


	5. Chapter 5

_As always – __I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story. _

**Chapter 5**

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as she left the surgical suite. The surgery was a success even with the few complications she had encountered. Fatigue swept over her as she made her way from the recovery room where she had just left her patient a few minutes ago. It had been a long day and it wasn't over yet. Kakashi expected to see her before the day was out. Mentally she had escaped while she focused on surgery, but now she needed to contend with him.

Sitting in the doctor's lounge, she frantically went over the day's events in her head trying to come up with a plan to deal with the mess she had made. She mentally berated herself for not considering what his mere presence would do to her as she attempted to pull off this farce. She wasn't a good liar when it came to Kakashi, he could always see through her ruses. It was baffling to her how she was getting away with her tale now. Obviously his jealousy was getting the best of him and he wasn't thinking straight. There was no other explanation on why he believed her story. There was a part of her that felt guilty on playing on his fears in order to get back at him. Another part of her was upset that he thought that she would change her feelings towards him so easily. The more she thought of the situation, the more confused she became.

Calming herself, she focused on how to proceed. She would have to play it by ear and limit the time that they were together until she felt he had repented enough. If he made amends before the eight days were up, she would need to get word to Kankuro so they could modify their plans. Finishing up her cup of coffee, she mentally prepared herself to face Kakashi.

Walking out the door, Sakura was greeted by the two ANBU that were standing guard per Kakashi's request. As she continued on, one of the ANBU stopped her.

"Haruno-sama, the hokage requested that you see him after you were done with surgery," stated the tall ANBU guard with the eagle mask on.

"I'm well aware of that," Sakura snapped, "I need to check on my patient before seeing him. Would you like to explain to the hokage why I don't have an update on Nara-san when I see him?"

Neji could tell that Sakura's temper was short due to her being fatigued, but the pink haired medic did have a point. Stepping aside, he let the head medic pass, and then motioned to his partner to follow behind her. She may have needed to look in on her patient, but there was no way that he was going to let her out of his sights. Neji knew there would be hell to pay if he didn't deliver Sakura to the hokage's office before the night was through.

* * *

Sakura waited patiently for Kakashi to finish his last meeting of the day in his office as directed by her ANBU guards. Shizune had brought in dinner for her while she waited, as per Kakashi's request. As she ate, she debated with herself on how she should proceed. It was hard to resist Kakashi when he was being so caring. Her inner self reminded her why she was doing this and the hurt Kakashi inflicted upon her by his neglectful words. After she finished her meal, she felt that she had the strength to resist his advances even though she was exhausted. Leaning back in the comfortable chair, she hoped that Kakashi would show soon so she could return to her call room for the much needed rest.

* * *

Kakashi was eager to finish this long boring meeting so he could finally speak with Sakura. Neji had alerted him that Sakura was waiting for him in his office, as he requested. Even though his mind should have been focused on what was being said, he couldn't help but divert his attention to his personal problems with Sakura. He rationalized that the village didn't have any major issues to attend to right now. Besides, everyone in his cabinet had a good handle on the everyday affairs of the village and everything was under control. Still he was stuck in this meeting until his cabinet members were through with their reports. Kakashi sighed heavily as they droned on.

* * *

An hour and a half later, the meeting finally drew to a close. Kakashi promptly left the conference room and made his way back to his office. Hopefully Sakura was still there and hadn't left. Dismissing his guards, he opened the door to his office after he readied himself in case Sakura wished to vent her displeasure of being made to wait for such a long time.

Walking in, he noticed the calm and quiet of his office. At first he did not see her, but when he drew near his desk, he found Sakura asleep in the chair she had chosen to sit in. A smile came to his lips as he watched her sleep. Kakashi always loved watching her as she slept. She always looked so peaceful and serene.

Gently he lifted her up and laid her down on the couch in the back of his office so she could be more comfortable. He couldn't keep from holding her close while she was in his arms. Tenderly he brushed a stray tendril of hair from her face as he watched her sleep. She had a long busy day and it was no surprise that she was exhausted. Unable to resist, he softly kissed her brow.

"Kakashi," she murmured in her sleep.

The hokage stared down at her contemplating what Sakura had just whispered in her sleep. Obviously he was still present in her mind even as she slept. Heartened by this, Kakashi couldn't help but smile. He hoped that she would take down the barrier between them before it was too late. Even though he wasn't able to speak with her tonight, he felt a glimmer of hope by the night's events.

* * *

Sakura slowly awoke and was initially confused by her surroundings. The last thing that she remembered was sitting in Kakashi's office waiting for him to show up after his meeting. Looking around, she realized that she was in her call room, in bed. She must have fallen asleep while she was waiting and Kakashi had brought her here. Running her hand through her tangled hair, she was relieved that she didn't have to speak with Kakashi about their domestic issues.

Sitting up, she looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was 2 in the morning. Sakura had promised Tsunade to look in on their patient during the night and she figured that she should look in on her last surgical patient also. Since she was awake, she figured that this was a good time to do so. Quickly, she got herself together and took off down the hall hoping that her two patients were well so she could go back to sleep.

* * *

Walking briskly down the hall, Sakura chastised herself for sleeping in so late. To her good fortune, both of her patients were doing well when she checked in on them earlier and she was able to go back to sleep for some much needed rest. No one would question her tardiness due to her being in charge of the hospital but she didn't want to make coming in late a habit.

Rounding the corner to her office, she could see that Moegi was immersed in her daily routine. Sakura quickly greeted her assistant so she wouldn't disturb the girl's tasks. Before Moegi could warn her about the guest that was waiting for her in her office, Sakura quickly disappeared behind the office door.

"Good morning Sakura," a familiar deep voice said as she shut the door.

Sakura mentally cursed and knew this was as sign that it was going to be a long hard day. Not making any eye contact, she made her way to her desk to sit down.

"Kakashi," she said coolly, "To what do I owe the honor of your presence this morning?"

"I came to apologize for last night. The meeting with my aides ran a bit long and I'm sorry you had to wait so long," he said.

Sakura looked at him finally and could see the sincerity on his face. Even though she had slept for a long time, she still was fatigued. She didn't feel like fighting this morning.

"It's ok, Kakashi. At least you had dinner waiting for me. I appreciate that."

"You're welcome," he replied, "They tend to get long winded when telling me about everything going on in the village."

"Yes, I understand your priorities," she murmured dejectedly.

Kakashi instantly noticed her demeanor change. Obviously he had hit a nerve. Her perception that she wasn't important in his life was the whole reason they were not together right now. He had to do something quick or their civil conversation would deteriorate into another fight.

"Well, I came here to apologize and to ask if I could take you out for dinner later. No matter what happens to us personally, I don't want to lose our friendship," he smiled, "You are very important to me, Sakura, regardless of what you think of me right now,"

Kakashi watched as a diminutive smile graced her lips. He finally had reached her even if it was something small.

"I would like that," she told him, "but it will need to be early. I really want to get home and get some good sleep."

"Sounds great," he said as he stood up from the chair he had been sitting in. "Just send a message when you will be done and I will make sure that I will be ready."

Both felt that they had made some progress with the other as they said their goodbyes to each other as they started their busy day.

* * *

Sakura couldn't help but look forward to the end of the day. Even though she was still upset with Kakashi, she still wished for his presence. Their relationship had changed though out the years from student/teacher, to peer, to good friend, then to lovers so she couldn't help but miss him. With any luck they could patch up their tattered relationship so they could be close again. She hoped that her missing presence made him finally realize how much he really needed her so they move on.

Her rounds were finally completed and Sakura was going back to her office to finish up her paperwork when Sasuke greeted her in the hallway.

"Hi Sasuke," she greeted him, "What brings you here?"

"Do you have a second?" he said quietly.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Can we talk in your office?" he said as he watched the women in the area start gravitating towards him. Even though everyone knew he was a married man, there were still some women that tried to pursue him, much to his irritation.

After Sakura told Moegi to send word to the hokage that she would be ready to go in 45 minutes, Sakura closed the door to her office so she could talk with Sasuke privately.

"So what's up?" Sakura said as she sat down.

"I was hoping that you could come by tonight to help with the kids. Mikoto has had a fever all day and I don't want the other two to get sick if I can help it. With Ino gone, they are all a bit needy right now," he told her.

"Sure Sasuke. I can be over as soon as I am done with Kakashi. I promised to have an early dinner with him today."

Sasuke watched his team mate's facial expressions as she spoke. Ino had filled him in on the falling out the couple had recently endured. In her note, Ino had mentioned that Sakura had some plan to make Kakashi realize his true feeling towards her. Not one to mettle in someone else's relationship woes, he hoped that the now hokage and head medic would finally find happiness together. Both seemed their best when they were with each other. Sensing that Sakura was pleased with Kakashi's attention, he tread lightly with his next question.

"Sakura, what is going on with you and Kakashi? If you don't want to talk about it, I will understand. I don't want to pry."

"I guess it's kind of obvious that we aren't getting along right now, huh," she laughed glumly.

Sakura told Sasuke about how she wanted to go public with their relationship and how Kakashi didn't. After Naruto told her about Kakashi being named as Tsunade's successor as hokage before Kakashi had told her, she over reacted and left the village without realizing that Kakashi hadn't known about his promotion prior to the Kage summit.

'_Figures, Naruto left that part out of the conversation_,' the Uchiha said to himself.

Sakura went on to explain her plan to her friend and how she was having second thoughts now that she had to face Kakashi.

Ino had briefly told him in her note about what Sakura was planning and had asked Sasuke to watch over Sakura until she came home. His wife was concerned that by playing this game with Kakashi, that Sakura's plan for happiness would be compromised if he truly found out about the game she was currently involved in.

"Sakura, you are playing with fire. If Kakashi finds out what you are doing, you can lose everything."

"I know," she murmured, "You aren't the first to say that. It seemed like a good plan when I was mad and not here in Konoha, but now…"

Sasuke saw the uncertainty in her eyes. Sakura always thought with her heart instead of her head. The pink haired medic had become better in dealing with things but when it came to Kakashi, she lost all reason.

"Sakura, give yourself some time and think it through. You have a few days to get your thoughts together before everyone comes from Suna."

Sakura just nodded hoping she could get it together before then.

* * *

Running home, Sakura cursed not having a change of clothes at the hospital that she could out in. She hadn't expected to go out for dinner tonight, especially with Kakashi. Part of her was happy that he did so she could possibly salvage the tattered remains of their relationship. It was a mess, mainly caused by both of their stubbornness.

Swiftly, she showered and dressed, wearing an outfit that she knew that he liked. She quickly put together some stuff to take to Sasuke's house so she could go right over to the Uchiha compound after her dinner date with Kakashi. After she was done, she used one of her summons to let Kakashi know that she was ready and would meet him outside the Uchiha compound so she could drop off her stuff for the night.

For once, Kakashi was waiting for her to arrive. She couldn't help but snicker on the promptness of her habitually late lover. It was obvious that he didn't want to prick her ire and was doing his best to stay on her good side. Sakura couldn't help but notice that he was impeccably dressed - dark black slacks, with a black turtle-neck shirt and jacket. To her surprise, he had left his mask at home. His spiky hair fell over his sharingan eye giving him a sultry look. As she looked him over, she questioned her sanity of ever coming up with her plan.

"Ready to go?" he inquired with a debonair smile.

Sakura could only nod her affirmative answer as she tried to regain her ragged composure. Kakashi led the way to her favorite restaurant, making small talk as they walked. Sakura couldn't help but be disappointed that he didn't hold her hand or put his arm around her as they leisurely walked. Her inner self berated her for being so hot headed and for the stupid plan she came up with to teach Kakashi a lesson. Right now she could have been in his warm embrace instead of just walking beside him.

Kakashi couldn't help but notice Sakura's discomfort as they made their way to dinner. At first he thought that she was upset with him but realized that she was uncomfortable with their present situation. He could see the longing in her eyes and the battle she was raging inside. Seeing that there was still a part of her that was interested in being with him, he couldn't help but be heartened that his quest to win her back was not in vain.

Their meal was shared with small talk about their day, with Kakashi making sure that any sore topics didn't arise to ruin the mood. His plan was to make her see how well suited they were as a couple. He was at a disadvantage on the details of his rival's attributes, but he was confident that he could remind Sakura why they loved each other.

Sakura watched Kakashi intently while they ate. She was always taken with his good looks and couldn't help her mind to wander about the more intimate times they shared. Sitting there watching him made her realize how long it had been since he last kissed her, the last time he held her, the last time they made love. All she could think of was how wonderful she felt the last time he held her in his strong arms, how all was well in her world as long as she had him by her side. She contemplated his facial expressions as he spoke and ate. His face was very expressive when he didn't wear his mask. Sakura had missed just watching him over the past few months. She was also well aware of her self induced abstinence as she sat next to the new hokage.

"Sakura?" Kakashi said, breaking her from her train of thought.

"I'm sorry, what did you say," she said with a blush.

Kakashi smiled at her wondering what she was pondering. Ever since they sat down, she couldn't keep her eyes off him.

"I was asking what you think is wrong with Mikoto. Sasuke said that she was sick and that he had asked you to help out tonight."

"I'm not sure yet," she said still blushing from her previous thoughts, "Sasuke said that she had a fever all day. I planned on checking her out after we were done."

"Hn," he said trying to figure out what she was thinking of to make her blush so much.

Sakura mentally shook herself so she could focus on the conversation. The man across from her always had a way of distracting her to no end, not that she minded the distraction. Soon the meal was at an end, and she knew that she needed to go to make sure that her god daughter was taken care of. Sakura let out a sigh as she thought of leaving Kakashi's side.

Not wanting the evening to end, Kakashi offered to walk her back the Uchiha estate. Sakura's mood was more subdued as they strolled back. Kakashi longed to pull her close and kiss her until she was breathless. It was taking all of his control not to do so and to respect the boundaries that she had imposed. Soon they were standing on the front porch of the Uchiha mansion. Both of them were standing uncomfortably by each other, not know what to say or do.

"Well, thank you Kakashi for a lovely dinner," Sakura finally said to break the silence.

"You're welcome," he said as he rubbed the back of his head, not knowing what to say or do next.

Both were standing there uncomfortable, like two teenagers on their first date, just staring at the other wondering what to do next. Kakashi decided to try to bridge the gap between them and took a step closer.

Suddenly the door burst open, and the two Uchiha brothers came running out to greet them.

"Hi Auntie Sakura and Uncle Hokage," Morio roared as he ran towards he pink medic to greet her with a hug.

"Why are you standing out here?" Daichi questioned as he stared up at Kakashi.

The boy reminded him of a young Sasuke, hair and all. Daichi was the more quiet of the twins and more intense. Morio looked like a typical Uchiha but gained his mother's friendliness and was more social. For the young age of 4, both boys were well on their way to fulfilling their legacy of being Uchiha prodigy. Both were at the top of their class and had excellent skills like their father. Both would be exceptional shinobi when they were grown.

"Sorry about that," Sasuke apologized as he came to the door with his daughter in his arms, "They have been practicing recognizing chakra signatures and are a little obnoxious with surprising people."

"Its okay, Sasuke," Sakura said with a smile as she reached for the small girl, "they didn't interrupt anything."

Mikoto went willingly to Sakura, burying her head into Sakura's neck as she wound her arms tight around Sakura. The pink hair medic went instantly into doctor mode as she felt how hot the young girl was.

"She's burning up! When did you give her something last?"

"About 2 hours ago," Sasuke wearily responded.

"My poor little angel," Sakura crooned as she strode into the house making a bee line to the little girl's room.

"Come on in Kakashi," Sasuke said with a smirk, knowing how uncomfortable the two were on the doorstep before the children interrupted. He could feel their chakra fluctuating as they stood on his porch.

The twins excitedly told Kakashi about the new things that they learned and how they were doing with their shuriken and kunai training. As he listened to the boys, he was a bit unnerved by the way that Sasuke was just staring at him. After the boys had filled in Kakashi with all of their news, they asked if they could show him their new skills with their kunai. Sasuke asked the boys to go outside to set up and to leave them for awhile so they could talk.

There was a long uncomfortable silence before Kakashi decided to break the tension by confronting Sasuke about what was bothering him.

"Go ahead, Sasuke. Say what you want to say."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. He didn't want to get between the couple but he felt that he needed to say something to his former mentor. "Just don't hurt her again."

Kakashi looked at the raven haired man before him. It was obvious that Sasuke wanted to protect Sakura. He would have thought less of the man if Sasuke didn't say anything about the situation to him, given the circumstance.

"I won't," Kakashi said with a nod.

The two men could speak volumes to each other with minimal verbal interaction. Most people found it baffling how the two could understand each other with just a look or with only a few words. Before anything else could be said, Sakura came back into the room with the small girl cradled in her arms.

"She finally fell asleep," she whispered, "I'll stay in her room tonight and we will see how it goes. I treated her as much as I could for now. She has a pretty bad upper respiratory infection. I want to make sure it doesn't get any worse"

Sasuke nodded to Sakura and excused himself so he could ready a place for Sakura to sleep in his daughter's room, leaving the couple some private time to talk. Kakashi put a hand on the tiny head of Mikoto to check her chakra without waking the girl.

"She'll be okay?" he asked quietly as he drew closer to Sakura.

"Yes, it may take a couple of nights, but we shall see how it goes. Poor little thing," Sakura murmured.

Kakashi watched as the woman he loved rocking the toddler to comfort her while she slept. Sakura was so caring of others. It was one of the things he found so endearing about her. Noticing she wasn't shying away from him, he maintained his proximity to her hoping his nearness would break through the wall she had put up.

Sakura could not help but be comforted by Kakashi's close presence. The past few months had been hard and she longed to be relieved of the stress of it all.

"Kakashi," she whispered.

"Yes, Sakura."

"Thank you for taking me out tonight. It was nice to be with you again."

Kakashi couldn't help but notice the blush on her face as she looked up at him.

"I've missed you Sakura," he said tenderly as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

Sakura could feel the electricity surge through her body from his touch. He always affected her this way, even after all the years that they had been together. She could feel her resolve melting as he leaned in closer to her. Her heart raced in anticipation of his kiss.

Then suddenly, the door flew open and the two boys raced in, startling the young girl in Sakura's arms.

"Uncle Hokage," Morio shouted, "We are waiting for you! Aren't you done yet?"

The twins stared angrily at Kakashi, waiting for his response while Sakura rocked the shocked little girl in her arms.

"Okay," he sighed, "I'm coming."

The two boys took off out the door happy that they could finally show off their talents. Knowing he was not going to be able to go forward with anything with the twins around, he finally gave up and stepped towards the door. Sakura suppressed a giggle as she watched the silver haired man walk dejected out the door and heard what he was muttering.

"Always being interrupted. No respect even now that I'm hokage!"

* * *

_Thanks for reading and please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

_As always – __I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story. _

**Chapter 6**

The next three nights, Sakura spent her time at the Uchiha residence much to Kakashi's dismay. He had planned something special for Sakura at her house but she had yet to go home to notice it. Time was running out before his rival arrived to the village. His plan to win her over seemed to be working, she wasn't avoiding him and seemed to enjoy his company when they were alone together. He only hoped that he could sway her feelings toward him before the group from Suna arrived. Failure was not an option for him. He would not lose her.

Lately, Kakashi had been thinking more of settling down and finally having a family. Watching her with the Uchiha children, especially Mikoto, just made him realize how she would be the perfect mother to his children. Even though the thought scared him beyond belief, he couldn't imagine being married with anyone else but Sakura.

* * *

Sakura was delighted by all the effort that Kakashi was putting forth to show her how he really cared. It was getting hard for her to continue her charade of indifference around him when he was being so charming. Each day he would escort her from Sasuke's home to work, made sure that they had lunch or dinner together, and escorted her back to the Uchiha residence in the evening, where he stayed for awhile to visit. Even though their conversation was light, she felt herself falling in love with the silver haired hokage once again. She knew that they would have to discuss the unpleasantness of the past soon, but she couldn't help but enjoy his attentiveness at the present time. There also was a part of her that missed the intimacy of their relationship. All in all, Sakura was more confused about the whole situation and how she should approach him than when she left the village for the first time.

* * *

Five days had gone by and Kakashi knew that he need to make his move soon, after today there would only be two days left before his adversary arrived. As he walked to the Uchiha mansion to pick up Sakura that morning, he was lost in thought on how to approach her. Their conversations up until this point had been insubstantial. Eventually, they would need to discuss the issues that drew them apart in order to move forward. His mind was clouded in apprehension as he racked his brain on what to do when he reached the porch of his former student's home. Lost in thought, he failed to notice the Uchiha twins' impending assault as they tore through the door to greet him.

"Uncle Hokage!" they squealed as they vaulted through the door nearly knocking him over.

Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle at the boys' antics as he watched his mentor try to regain his composure in front of the two boys. They were always full of energy and Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if he was the same way at their age. The boys were reveling in all the attention they were getting from Kakashi, since he was visiting every evening. He had been helping them with practicing their kunai throwing accuracy and chakra control every night he was there. In their eyes, Kakashi was the greatest adult in the village.

Sakura couldn't help but hear that Kakashi had arrived due to her nephews' loud voices. She brought Mikoto down with her since the little girl was awake and feeling better. At the tender age of 1½, the small girl didn't have her brothers' energy, but she didn't want to stay in her crib and miss all the action. Sakura was pleased on how fast her niece had recovered, but all children had a way of bouncing back from illness quickly. She was just pleased that she had caught the infection in time before it progressed to something more serious.

The pink haired medic watched as Kakashi interacted with the two boys. '_He will be a good father one of these days_,' she mused. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the scene before her. As she drew closer to Sasuke, Mikoto put out her arms towards her father letting him know that she wanted to be held by him. The little girl giggled as she wound her small arms around his neck and hugged him. She was definitely daddy's little girl, even though her team mate would never admit that his daughter had him wrapped around her tiny little fingers.

"Ready to go?" she inquired as she made her way onto the porch.

"Yes, please" Kakashi replied quickly hoping the boys would leave him be with their insistent questions.

"If anything changes with Mikoto, let me know right away. I will be at the hospital all day," Sakura instructed Sasuke as she gave her niece a kiss on her cheek, "She should be good now. The fever is gone."

Sasuke gave his usual grunt that he understood as he smiled down at his daughter.

"Do you mind walking the twins to school?" Sasuke asked, hoping he would have one less task this morning.

Before Kakashi could say anything, Sakura agreed. Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle as he watched his two former team mates head out with his sons barraging Kakashi with questions about weapons and jutsu.

After the twins were dropped off at school, the couple headed off towards the hospital. Kakashi's mind raced on all he would need to do to make this a memorable day for Sakura and hopefully win her back into his life. He had been planning since she had come back from Suna, but his plans were postponed due to Mikoto's illness. His time was running out and he had to show her how he really felt.

"Earth to Kakashi," Sakura said as she waved her hand in front of his face. "Are you still in there?"

"Sorry," he said mortified that he had zoned out so much, "Thinking about all I have to do today. What did you say?"

Sakura laughed. "I said that we are at the hospital."

"That we are," he chuckled. "Will I see you at lunch?"

"Sure," she said eagerly.

With a nod of his head, he pulled her into his embrace and quickly made his way to his office.

Sakura stood there dumbfounded by his actions. It was the first time he had touched her since she came back. She couldn't help the rush of her feelings when he did so. The yearning she felt intensified as the electricity of his touch surged through her. A blush tinted her cheeks as she realized how much a simple embrace from him had affected her so much. As she made her way to her office, she focused on calming her pounding heart.

* * *

After he turned the corner from the hospital, Kakashi teleported to his office. He summoned Pakkun and Akino so they could deliver the messages to the people that were willing to help with his plan. The two ninken disappeared to do his bidding after he gave each their instructions. Going to the door, he found his assistant at her desk.

"Shizune, today is the day! Make sure I'm not disturbed unless it's one of the team that is helping me."

Shizune nodded and wished the hokage luck on his plan to win Sakura back.

* * *

Sakura was having a hard time accomplishing anything this morning. All she could think about was Kakashi and if she should continue her scheme. Time was running out, and if she was going to cancel her plans, she would need to send a message soon to Kankuro. They group would be arriving in a few days and she needed to make her mind up soon.

Slowly she drank her cooled tea as she stared out the window of her office. Moegi had told her that she had a clear schedule for the day so she could get her much needed paperwork done. Sakura was distracted by the mess of her personal life. Her musings were interrupted as her mentor barged through her door.

"Ahhh…Sakura, there you are," the blond sannin said as she strode through the door.

"Shishou," Sakura said as she pulled herself together, "to what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

Tsunade made her way into the office and sat down in one of Sakura's chairs. "Kakashi sent me over to take over for you for the rest of the day. Something about a lunch meeting. He sent this over for you also."

Moegi brought in a garment bag and a small suitcase. Sakura looked at her mentor confused by what was being presented to her.

"Go ahead, open it," Tsunade smirked, "I'm just the messenger."

Sakura unzipped the garment bag to reveal a beautiful vintage purple silk kimono with delicate cherry blossoms and swallows decorating the bottom of the kimono.* Even the lapel had small cherry blossoms embroidered on it. The obi was iridescent lavender silk with embroidered butterflies on it, done in metallic thread. Everything else was there for her to dress in, to her amazement. When she opened the suitcase, there were all the hair accessories she needed to do her hair, a matching bag and zori.

Sakura was speechless by what all that she saw in front of her. She never had owned something so beautiful. The two women in the office with her were just smiling as they watched her look at everything. Sakura couldn't help but wonder who had helped him pick everything out.

"Well at least the brat has some taste," Tsunade commented as Moegi giggled.

"Did he say where we are going and who we are meeting?" Sakura asked.

"He said something about the Hagakure** Tea House, but didn't mention with who. He just said it was an important luncheon," Tsunade told her, "There will be someone by to escort you in an hour, so you better get going if you don't want to be late."

Sakura quickly went into her call room to freshen up and start dressing. Tsunade told her that she would help her with her obi. As she did her hair, she wondered who they would be entertaining and why she needed to be there. It must be someone of importance that she needed to dress so formally. She also wondered why Kakashi didn't say anything about this to her this morning when they were walking into work.

Soon she was done, and Tsunade had tied her obi. Moegi had come back into the office to let her know that the ANBU escort had arrived.

"Sakura-sama, you look so beautiful," the young girl exclaimed.

With a blush, Sakura thanked her for her compliment and made her way out the door to be escorted to the tea house. It was just her luck that her escort wasn't one for any conversation, so she didn't get any more information other than what her mentor gave her. When they arrived, the owner of the tea house was waiting for her.

"This way, Haruno-sama," the woman said with a bow, "The hokage is waiting for you."

Sakura followed the woman to one of the back rooms. She had only heard stories about the tea house and had never been there before. The halls were elaborately decorated and the beautiful gardens could be seen in through the rooms that were not occupied. Sakura was shown into a small but elegant room with a view of a picturesque garden and pond.

"My name is Amane. If you need anything Haruno-sama, just let me know" the woman bowed again and left her in the room.

Sakura was immediately drawn to the garden. The view was stunning with all of the flowers that were in bloom, the serene pond, and a maple tree that shaded the room. As she stood by the doorway of the garden, she relaxed as she took in the view before her. She was so lost in thought, she failed to notice that Kakashi had walked in behind her.

"Beautiful, isn't it," he murmured, not wanting to startle her.

"Yes it is," she said turning towards him.

Kakashi was dressed in his new formal wear as hokage. Sakura had not seen his new wardrobe since he was promoted. She had to admit that he looked striking.

"So, who are we meeting and what will we be discussing?" she quickly asked before anyone else joined them. Sakura wanted to mentally prepare before any dignitaries joined them.

Kakashi looked puzzled. '_What did Tsunade tell her?'_ he mused.

"Tsunade said it was an important luncheon," she told him.

"Of course it is important," he said with a smile, moving closer to her, "but it is only me and you. I wanted some time alone with you."

Sakura was shocked that he would go to all this effort just to be alone with her. She blushed and looked down guiltily as she thought of her plan and what she was putting him through. She didn't deserve all of this while she was using his insecurities against him. Turning towards the garden, she questioned if she should keep this farce up. It wasn't fair to do this to him since it was obvious what she really meant to him.

Kakashi watched as Sakura turned away. He could tell that she was torn. This is not how he wanted to see her. Mentally he started berating himself for putting her in this position by not being attentive to her needs and not being able to share his feelings for her the way she needed. Brushing his feelings of guilt aside, he reminded himself of his plan to win her back and began to focus on her needs right now. He couldn't undo the past but he could show her how she really meant to him now. Hopefully that would be enough for him to succeed.

"Sakura," he said softly, "Is this okay with you? I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

She turned around and looked into his troubled eyes. Knowing that she was the cause of his pain, she decided that it was time to end this and start rebuilding their relationship. As soon as she could, she would send a message to Kankuro that she didn't want to go through with their plan. There were a couple more days before they arrived so she would have plenty of time to get a message to him.

"Of course, Kakashi," she smiled, "I would like to spend some time with you."

The couple enjoyed lunch and the garden together. Sakura sat close to him, much to his delight, without retreating from his presence. She seemed more comfortable around him. After they were done, they walked back to her home where she invited him in. As he in, he saw that all of the flowers he had sent were still there.

"Thanks, by the way," she said with a blush.

"I'm glad you liked them," he said as he took her hands in his.

Both just stared at each other, afraid of taking the first step, not wanting to offend the other. The longing to be with each other was nagging at them equally.

"I've missed you, Sakura," Kakashi finally said as he kissed her hands, "so very much."

A tear rolled down her cheek, "I've missed you too."

Kakashi pulled her into his embrace, holding her tightly. Sakura melted into his arms, savoring the comfort that she had craved for so long.

He released her and grabbed her hand. "I have something to show you," he said mischievously as he pulled her to the back of the house. "Close your eyes."

She complied and followed him outside into the back yard, wondering what he was up to. Sakura could smell the water nearby and freshly dug earth. Finally, they reached their destination, not too far from the back door.

"Ok, open them."

To her surprise, there was a hot spring set up in her yard. It was similar to the one she enjoyed in Suna, but with native Konoha plants, flowers, and rock.

"Kakashi," she declared, "you did all of this for me?"

"Gaara had made mention of your love of the hot springs there and how it helped you relax. I figured you should have the same here to relieve your tensions at home," he said with a grin. "Do you like it?"

"Of course I do!" Sakura exclaimed.

Her arms instinctively wound around him and pulled him closer to her. Both of them stared into each other's eyes not knowing how to proceed. Finally, Sakura drew him closer and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Thank you, Kakashi," she said as she looked up into his eyes, with a grin on her face.

Kakashi pulled her in closer into his embrace, and rested his head on top of hers. He had missed her warmth these past few months. A smile played around his lips as he held her close, not wanting to ever let her go again. It was a victory to get past the barriers she had put up. Now he had to make sure that he wiped his rival's memory from her so they could move on with their life together.

Sakura melted into his embrace. She felt safe and secure again with his strong arms around her. Tomorrow she would need to get a message to Kankuro to call the whole thing off and put these miserable few months behind her. Hopefully they could move forward and he wouldn't take her for granted again, but for now, he was here with her and she was going to savor every second with him.

* * *

The next morning, the couple was walking to work as they always did, but the gloom that had been plaguing them had disappeared. Both seemed more relaxed. Physically they walked closer together and both had a grin on their faces, even though Kakashi had his mask in place. They had spent most of the night talking and enjoying the warm waters in the spa. Sakura spent the night in Kakashi's strong arms when she finally fell asleep. She couldn't help but feel content this morning.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the couple, a group of people were watching as they walked down the street together. Tsunade smiled as she watched them pass by. With a nod, a couple of messenger birds flew away.

On the top of the Hokage Building, an ANBU operative stared down and watched the couple. Even though Genma was happy to see the couple back together again, he knew he had to tell his friend what he had overheard the night before. Tsunade had been well into her cups of sake as she discussed the couple's current state of affairs with his wife. He was shocked when she told Shizune about Sakura's plans about getting back at Kakashi for his neglect. Even though he could vaguely understand why the pink medic had gone to such drastic measures, he felt that Kakashi had a right to know the plan that the pink medic had came up with to get back at him.

* * *

As they walked, Kakashi was pleased that he had a day left to spend with Sakura before the group from Suna arrived. Hopefully, the group would be delayed so he could enjoy more private time with Sakura.

While Kakashi was planning their day out in his mind, Sakura was mentally going over how to notify Kankuro on the change in her plans. She hoped that she could catch him before the group arrived at the gates of Konoha.

As soon as they turned the corner, they were greeted by a large group coming towards them. In a flash, Eri, a.k.a. Kankuro, swept her up into his arms and was kissing her. Sakura could feel Kakashi stiffen next to her as he watched the spectacle before him.

Eri set her down and placed his arm possessively around Sakura's shoulders. Sakura was apprehensive as she watched Kakashi sized up his competition.

"Blossom," Eri said, "I missed you so much!"

Sakura could see Kakashi's eyebrow twitch with irritation as Eri held her close and called her by his pet name.

"Ummm…Eri," she nervously stuttered, "This is the hokage, Kakashi Hatake. Kakashi, this is Eri Kasshi."

Eri bowed to Kakashi. "Please excuse me Hatake-sama. I have been anxiously waiting to see your head medic again. I fear that I am a little over zealous. Please forgive me."

Sakura blushed profusely under Kakashi's and Eri's stares. She cleared her throat. "So what brought you all here so early? We weren't expecting you all to arrive for at least another day or so."

"I couldn't leave my poor baby alone, especially since she was so sick," Ino interrupted as she came closer to Sakura. "How is my little angel?"

Sakura proceeded to update Ino on the status of her daughter as the rest of the group listened. Eri was oblivious to Kakashi's scrutiny as they stood there in the street. Kakashi greeted Gaara, then excused himself from the crowd.

"I will let Sakura show you to your accommodations," Kakashi said with a tense smile. "I will see you at 11:00 for our meeting, Sakura."

"Of course," she stammered. She could tell that Kakashi was irritated. He always remained cool on the exterior, but she had known him long enough to notice the subtleties of when he was annoyed. She updated her friends on what was going on while they walked to the Hokage's visitor's wing of the mansion.

* * *

Kakashi temper had cooled somewhat, by the time he reached his office. It had unnerved him when Sakura was manhandled in front of him by that interloper, Eri. It had taken all his strength not to pummel the man as he greeted his Sakura and touched her no less in front of him. At least she didn't return the man's attentions and seemed uncomfortable with Eri's show of public affection. He would have to discuss things with Sakura later on how she wanted to proceed with their relationship and what she would be telling Eri. For now, he needed to cool down and make sure that his anger didn't flare when he saw her next.

To his surprise, Genma was waiting for him in his office.

"Genma," Kakashi nodded as he sat down in his chair.

"The group from Suna has arrived?" Genma questioned already knowing the answer.

"Yes," the hokage answered trying to control his irritation. "Why, what's up?"

"Well," Genma said reluctantly, "I heard something last night that you really should be aware of."

Kakashi stared at the man. He couldn't take too much more this morning without losing his temper. "Ok, let me hear it," he sighed. "It's becoming one of those days quickly."

Genma shifted uncomfortably in the chair. He didn't know how his friend would react to what he was going to reveal to him. It was obvious that the day was not going well already.

"It has to do with Sakura," Genma started slowly.

"I figured as much. And?"

"Tsunade had been at the house last night talking with Shizune, and had drank quite a bit before she made it to our house," Genma told him

"Please get to the point," Kakashi said tersely as he rubbed his temples.

"Well, the long of the short of it is…," Genma took a breath and readied himself to move to a safe distance quickly if Kakashi lost it. "Sakura made this entire thing up saying that she was with this Eri guy to get back at you for hurting her and sending your ninken to spy on her."

Kakashi's eyes widened and his sharingan started to spin. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Eri is really Kankuro." Genma flinched when he saw Kakashi's reaction.

Just when he thought this day couldn't get any worse, it did.

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_

_AN:_

_*__For a picture of the kimono,_ visit** www.** **ichiroya** **.com /item/list2/103437/** . _Need to take the spaces out!_

_** Hagakure – Shadow of leaves._


	7. Chapter 7

_As always – __I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story. _

**Chapter 7**

Kakashi couldn't believe what he just heard. Sakura had knowingly put him through this hell and used his past against him. No wonder she had looked so panicked when the group from Suna had met them in the street. All the torture he had been going through these past few months had been at her hand. There was a part of him that felt he deserved it due to his neglect of their relationship but the larger part of him wanted to get back at her.

"So how many people know about this Genma?" Kakashi asked his friend.

Genma could see that Kakashi was infuriated. "From what I understand, Tsunade, Shizune, the group from Suna, me, and now you," he muttered. "I'm sorry Kakashi, but I really thought that you should know."

"I appreciate that, Genma," the hokage mumbled gloomily.

Kakashi got up and stood near the windows of his office looking out over the village. He didn't know how to feel about all of this but he knew that he had to do something to save the little bit of dignity he had left. If she wanted to play games, he would just have to do the same, but he didn't want to lose her again. It quickly came to him what his next move would be.

The silver-haired hokage slowly turned with a wicked grin on his face. Genma sank into the chair, nervously waiting to hear what the man had to say. For once, Genma was glad he would not be on the receiving end the hokage's plan, but he suddenly felt sorry for the woman that had tweaked his ire.

"Genma," he said menacingly, "I need your help."

* * *

Sakura had explained everything to her friends and she shared her plan to disentangle her from the infamous Eri. It would take a couple more days before she could end this farce. While they were talking, her friends voiced their concerns about her plan backfiring more than a few times, especially Gaara and Sasuke. Sakura was always irrational when she was either hurt or angry, and if she was both, watch out. She really had not thought this through all the way before she put her plan in action. The best she could hope for is to end this as quickly as she could and to put it all behind her. Hopefully it would end well, and Kakashi would be none the wiser.

Sakura made her way to the hokage's office for their supposed meeting. She was anxious to see what Kakashi's reaction would be to her suitor, Eri, being in the village. Hopefully he had time to calm down and not be too upset with the other male's show of attention. Knowing that this may be an uncomfortable discussion, Sakura readied herself to face Kakashi. Shizune wasn't sitting at her desk so she timidly knocked at the door before letting herself into the office. As she opened the door, she saw Kakashi at his desk attentively staring at a scroll, obviously immersed in his work.

"Is this a bad time?" Sakura asked as she came through the door.

"No," he replied with a smile, "I was just getting ready to take a break. Come on in, Sakura."

Kakashi greeted her with a hug. Both of them were stiff in their usual greeting. Obviously the morning's events had affected both of them. Kakashi escorted her to the table in his office near the windows that overlooked the village. Holding her chair out for her, she sat down and he took the seat across from her. On the table, was a light lunch for both of them.

"Thanks, Kakashi," Sakura said sweetly.

He just nodded and gave her his customary eye crinkle. Sakura couldn't help but feel self-conscious as she noticed the silver hair man stare at her. She could tell that something was bothering him and had a feeling she knew what it was. Not wanting to make things worse than they were, she decided to wait until he said something first.

Kakashi couldn't help but stare at the woman before him. He was trying not to make it so obvious, but Sakura couldn't help but notice that there was something wrong. As he watched her, he knew that she wouldn't broach the subject first. Part of him wanted to confront her with what she had put him through the past few months and just have it out with her. Knowing her temperament, they would be in the same predicament that they were currently in. A subtle approach was the best way to deal with the situation at hand, so he would wait until she started the conversation.

Sakura finished her salad and Kakashi still hadn't said a word to her. Her anxiety was building as he watched her.

"Kakashi," she finally said, "What's bothering you?"

Staring a few min more, he finally spoke. "You know what is wrong, Sakura," he said in a serious tone.

Sakura let out a heavy sigh. She knew that this wouldn't be easy. All of this was because of her and her temper. Her mind raced on how to start the conversation with him so she wouldn't lose the thing she wanted most – him.

"I'm sorry things are so messed up," she said quietly as she looked down at her hands. She couldn't look him in the eye knowing this was all of her doing.

"I'm partly to blame for this situation," he said with a sigh. Even though he was outraged by her antics, he didn't like seeing her so upset. "So what do you want to do Sakura? Which one of us do you want to be with?"

Sakura looked up into his eye. She could see the pain that she inflicted in his gaze. It pained her to know that she had done this to him, her and her stupid pride.

Before she could answer, a knock was heard at the door. "Enter," Kakashi said coolly with a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

In walked an ANBU operative bearing a letter for Kakashi. The hokage quickly took the dispatch and opened it. Scanning it quickly, he thanked the messenger and asked him to wait outside his door.

"Sorry, Sakura, duty calls," he said as he rose, "This conversation will have to wait until later."

"I understand," she said quietly, "I need to get back to the hospital anyways. Will you have time later?"

"I will make some time," he said as he escorted her towards the door, "We need talk this out."

Kakashi embraced her and patted her head. As Sakura went out the door, she couldn't help but feel disappointed that he hadn't kissed her. Hopefully they would have time to converse and work this all out later so it wouldn't be so tense when they were together.

The silver haired hokage watched her as she walked slowly down the street. He was troubled by what he needed to do. It pained him knowing that she would mess with his feelings in this way. True, he had messed up, but her actions were not helping the situation. His pride as a man had been pricked and he didn't like being played with. Sakura needed to learn not to toy with his emotions ever again.

* * *

It was a long day at the hospital. Things seemed to go from bad to worse as the day wore on. Sakura wished she could start the day over and just stay in bed instead of dealing with everything that had gone on up until now. By early evening, she had taken care of all of the issues of the day at the hospital. All that remained is dealing with the mess that she had created herself with Kakashi.

Sakura was in her office finishing some paperwork when Ino and Kankuro, who was dressed as Eri, suddenly appeared before her.

"Hey forehead! Aren't you ready for dinner yet?" Ino bellowed as she walked into the office.

"Jeeze, Ino, you really know how to make an entrance," Sakura complained. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're picking you up for the dinner tonight," Kankuro said, "Did you forget?"

"I don't remember any dinner," Sakura said confused as she flipped through her calendar.

"It's to welcome everyone from Suna," Ino told her, "So get dressed quickly or we're going to be late!"

Sakura quickly dressed into the outfit she had stashed in her office in case she needed to meet someone of importance. She had learned to be prepared for these types of things the hard way while Tsunade had been the hokage. The sannin would surprise her with meetings with people of importance and dignitaries from time to time, so she stored some non-work clothes just in case of emergency. It was no fun trying to entertain in clothes that you toiled in all day, especially when you worked in the hospital.

* * *

When the trio arrived to the restaurant, everyone else had arrived already, including Kakashi. Kankuro went into his alter ego's role as they walked through the door. Sakura stiffened as Eri put his arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry everyone," Sakura said as she wiggled out of Eri's grasp, "It was busy at the hospital. I hope you all weren't waiting too long."

Eri held the chair out for Sakura as she sat down. Much to her dismay, they were seated across from Kakashi. She could feel his eyes bore into Eri's head as they sat and waited for dinner to arrive. Eri was pleasantly oblivious to the hokage's glare as he spoke to the people around him. Ino couldn't help but giggle every time she looked at Sakura, Eri, and Kakashi. Sasuke would just shake his head at his wife's antics. Sakura hoped that the dinner party would go by quickly so she could talk with Kakashi and get out of this unnerving situation swiftly.

After dinner was over, Kakashi felt that he needed to stir the pot and engage "Eri" in conversation. He wanted to see how well an actor Kankuro was.

"So, Eri," Kakashi began, "What do you think of Konoha? Is this your first time here?"

Sakura paled when she heard Kakashi try to start conversation with Eri. She just hoped that Kankuro wouldn't over do and cause more problems than there were already. Her friends sitting near them watched anxiously hoping the exchange wouldn't get out of hand between the two men.

"Yes, this is my first time, hokage-sama" Eri responded politely, "Sakura had told me a lot about the village but her words did not do it justice." Eri looked longingly at Sakura and moved in closer to her. "It is very different from Suna but very beautiful."

"Yes, yes it is," Kakashi said thoughtfully. "So I've hear that you and Sakura did a lot of research while she was in Suna. Has there been an influx of new poisons that your shinobi have encountered recently?"

Sakura swallowed hard hoping that "Eri" could come up with something quickly to answer Kakashi. She could tell that Kakashi was baiting the man sitting next to her. Lucky for them, Kankuro knew a thing or two about poisons due to being an accomplished puppet master. He started discussing the nuances of the poisons used by Sasori and how they were doing further research to understand the poisons better.

Sakura watched Kakashi closely as he stared down her "date." She could tell that the man was not even interested in what Kankuro was telling the group. Kakashi was sizing up his competition and waiting for the man that was speaking to mess up. To everyone else, Kakashi seemed cool and polite, but Sakura knew better. Kakashi was looking for weak points. Both men had a congenial smile plastered to their faces, but she could tell there was a silent battle raging. Kankuro viewed this as a test of his abilities to see if he could fool the now hokage and former ANBU Captain. Kakashi was out for blood due to another man stepping into his territory, so to speak. Sakura could feel her stomach churn as the bantering went back and forth. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Kankuro's arm go around her.

"Sakura was very helpful in our research," Eri said as he put his arm around her and pecked her cheek. "She also helped our medics become more proficient in treating our shinobi when they come in with serious injuries. I was very fortunate that I could work with her so closely."

Sakura's eyes widened as Kankuro taunted the hokage across the table from them. She could see the anger rising as Kakashi's shoulders stiffened. Knowing it may come to blows, she needed to defuse the situation immediately.

"Ah ha ha…," Sakura said nervously as she tried to discreetly wiggle free from Kankuro's embrace, "I was glad I could help my fellow medics in Suna."

The more she tried to release herself, the tighter Kankuro held on. Sakura gave him a kick under the table to give him a hint to cut it out. All Kankuro did is just smile back at her. When she looked over at the hokage, Sakura noticed a little tic forming near Kakashi's eyebrow.

Kakashi couldn't believe that the puppet master had the nerve to touch his Sakura that way. Even though he knew what the couple was trying to do, he couldn't help but be jealous. It took all he had not to reach across the table and smack that smug look off of Kankuro's face. Kakashi was appreciative that there were so many people there with him so he could maintain his control.

It looked to him like Sakura was not pleased with Kankuro's performance either. He could see the flush of her skin creeping up the back of her neck. Obviously her partner in crime was crossing some lines even for her. Kakashi's gaze turned towards the pink haired medic. Watching her squirm helped him calm himself before he lost it and played directly into her scheme.

An awkward silence came over the group that was watching the trio in interest. Sakura realized that they had become the center of attention. Ino, Matsuri, and Temari had a surprised look on their faces amazed on how far Kankuro, A.K.A. Eri, had pushed the situation. Sasuke and Gaara just shook their heads at what they were witnessing. Tsunade had a smug grin on her face reminding Sakura what she had said when Sakura told her of her stupid plan. Shizune and Genma just looked mortified. Luckily, Shikamaru and his family were deep in conversation and had not witnessed the verbal battle that just ensued with the hokage and the so-called visiting aide.

A wave of embarrassment swept over Sakura as she looked into the faces of her friends and mentors. She had caused this, no one else. Her breathing hitched as she contemplated her idiocy in causing this ridiculous situation. All she knew is that she needed to get out of there before she did anything else to anger or embarrass herself further. Taking a breath, she tried to calm her shattered nerves and compose herself.

"I'm sorry," she said as she stood abruptly, "I really need to go. I have some things to attend to at the hospital before the night is out."

"Let me walk you out," Eri said politely, not giving Sakura a choice to voice her disapproval. Kankuro took her by the hand and led her out of the dining room.

Inwardly, Kakashi smiled that he had hit his mark, but couldn't feel pleased with himself for pushing so hard. A part of him wanted to console her but the other part reminded him of why he was doing this. He would give her some time to think about the night's events before he confronted her. Then he would put the second part of his plan into play.

* * *

As soon as she was out of the door of the dining room, she sharply snatched her hand from Kankuro's grasp.

"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed, "I told you to behave yourself, didn't I?"

Kankuro just chuckled. "I had to appear like we had some kind of relationship, didn't I? If not, he would have known something was up."

"But…" Sakura stammered.

"What did you expect, Sakura? Do you think he wouldn't challenge me?" he questioned, "You really are naive when it comes to men and how they work."

Unexpectedly, Kankuro pulled her into his embrace. "We're being watched," he whispered "Make it look good."

The next thing Sakura knew was that she was being kissed senseless by the man in front of her. A feeling of dread washed over her. All of this had gone too far. It was one thing to pretend that she had been with someone else. It was quite another thing going through the motions to act like she did.

She could feel Kakashi, Tsunade, and the rest of her friends' chakra come closer to them. When Kankuro finally released her, she turned to see that they indeed had an audience. As she scanned their eyes, she could see their disapproval. Tsunade just nodded towards her, reminding Sakura of the warning she gave her when she arrived home. Knowing that she was on the verge of spilling tears, she hastily retreated through the doors of the restaurant with her head hung low.

Genma couldn't help but feel responsible for Sakura's distress. He had been the one to tell Kakashi of her plan and now Kakashi was going to make her pay for what she did. Being Kakashi's friend for so long should have prepared him for what Kakashi had in store for the pink haired medic. Kakashi wasn't a very forgiving man when crossed. Shizune smiled and patted his arm to console him when she saw his concern on his face. Giving her a weak smile so she wouldn't worry, Genma couldn't help but feel that he felt personally accountable for the mess that just unfolded in front of them. He hoped that Kakashi would relent and just talk it out with Sakura instead of going through with his plan.

* * *

Sakura quickly ran to her office so she could have a moment alone to get herself together. Luckily, she still had a bottle of sake stashed in her desk drawer for those difficult, long days. She hastily downed two glasses of sake to calm herself. It was one habit she wished she had never picked up from her mentor.

Putting the sake in the drawer again, she hastily wrote a note to Moegi that she would be taking her vacation for the wedding a couple of days early and that she could be reached at home if there was an emergency. Grabbing her work clothes, she locked the door of her office and began her journey home.

It wasn't long before she felt a familiar presence besides her. Kakashi had been waiting for her a few blocks from the hospital.

"Kakashi," she said as she walked, "what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed upset when you left."

Sakura could not look him in the eyes. He felt guilty about doing this to her. She seemed truly distraught and remorseful about the situation. The couple walked wordlessly until they reached the door of her house.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi, truly sorry," she choked out in a whisper.

He moved closer to her and pulled her into his embrace.

"Let's go in Sakura," he sighed, "We still have things to talk about."

Sakura opened the door and set her stuff down on the table in the foyer. The pink haired medic looked like a child that had been caught by her parent after she had lied. Knowing that she would probably break down as soon as she would start talking, she quietly waited for him to start the conversation again. She was nervous as she waited for him to speak again.

As he looked at her, his heart was telling him to let her off the hook and let her back into his life again. All he wanted to do is to hold her close to comfort her and forget the ugliness of the past few months. That's when Kakashi's mind took over and started reminding him of what she had put him through emotionally. It had been pure torture during the time she was gone. She had used his fears against him. If he didn't teach her what the consequences were now, he ran the risk of her doing this to him again. His mind won over his heart. It was time to put his final part of his plan into action.

"Sakura, I've come to a couple of conclusions after our dinner tonight," Kakashi said coolly to her. "I now see that Eri is a much better match for you than I am, so I am stepping aside so you can be happy with him."

Snapping up her head, Sakura stared at the man before her. Did he really say what she heard? He didn't want to be with her anymore?

"What?" she squeaked.

"Sakura, Eri is a better partner for you than I am," he said wistfully as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Both of you are medics in the same field, he is closer to your age, and he truly loves you. I saw that for myself tonight."

Sakura could not believe what she was hearing. She was in a state of shock.

Kakashi pulled her into another embrace. "He is not scarred like I am Sakura. He can give you the life that you want and deserve." He lifted her chin with his fingers. "You deserve much more than I can give you. So I have decided not to be selfish and put what is good for you before my selfish needs."

"But Kakashi..."

"Shhhh Sakura. It's ok," he smiled sadly down at her, "It's for the best. Don't worry about me. I will be ok in time. Thank you for everything. I will never forget the love we shared."

With that, he kissed her, as to be the last time, and left the house. Sakura stood in the foyer dumbfounded on what had just happened. Instead of being with the man she loved, she was now alone. She had pushed too far and lost. Cursing herself, she realized she should have heeded all the warnings that she had been given before going through with this. With a strangled cry, she slumped to the ground in shock knowing that her life would never be the same again.


	8. Chapter 8

_Getting towards the end with this story! Possibly only one more chapter left! _

_As always – __I do not own Naruto or any characters of said story. _

**Chapter 8**

Making her way down the walkway, Ino was more than perturbed at Sakura that she had to search for her all morning. They had a lot to plan for this weekend and Sakura had promised to meet up with her this morning so they could arrange everything. Ino had been to her office, and searched through the hospital for her when Moegi finally told her that Sakura wouldn't be in today. The blond had been to her house once already, and to all their favorite spots with no avail. She had even gone to the hot springs, just in case Sakura was there relaxing. Now she was back at Sakura's house with her copy of the key to see if she was there.

Opening up the front door, Ino boldly strode into the house and bellowed Sakura's name. Receiving no response, she closed the door and decided to look around. She noticed the clothes that Sakura was wearing at the hospital resting on the back of one of Sakura's couches in the living room. Making her way to the kitchen, she quickly looked outside to see if Sakura was there.

As she walked outside, she noticed the hot spring that wasn't there the last time she visited. Making a mental note to ask Sakura if she could use the hot spring in the future, she walked back into the house. Not finding Sakura on the first floor of the house, she decided to look upstairs in Sakura's bedroom. When she opened the door, she found Sakura staring out the balcony while curled up on her lounge chair. Sakura was still dressed in the clothes she had on last night at dinner. Her eyes were puffy and there were tear stains on her face. The anger that Ino had felt earlier faded away when she saw the condition her friend was in.

"Sakura," she said gently as she kneeled down besides her, "Sakura, what's wrong."

The pink haired woman turned to her friend and burst into tears. Ino's arms went around her as she sobbed her heart out. Sakura never cried anymore, so something major must have happened after they left the party. Kankuro was taunting Kakashi so Ino could only imagine on what had happened. All she could do is hold her friend until she calmed enough so they could talk.

"He left me," Sakura finally choked out as she calmed down, "He said that Eri was better suited for me and he was letting me go."

Sakura buried her head into Ino's shoulder and wept again. Ino was dumbfounded by what Sakura told her. Obviously the hokage had been pushed too far by Kankuro's antics and Sakura had lost. Part of her wanted to find Kankuro and punch him in the face, but she knew that that wouldn't help the situation. They had all warned her of the consequences, but it was a chance that Sakura was willing to take at the time. Right now she needed to be there for her best friend to help her get through the pain. There would time later to figure out how to repair this whole mess.

* * *

Kakashi had woke in a foul mood and did not have the patience for anything this morning. He had run two teams out of the office by losing his temper at their supposed bickering. Any other day, he would have told them what their mission was and dismissed them. Today, the hokage had lectured the one team and had thrown a paperweight that was on his desk at one of the shinobis from the other team when the shinobi asked a simple question. Needless to say, he had Shizune clear the rest of his schedule for the day. He needed time to think and to get his anger under control.

Walking in one of the gardens in the hokage mansion, he couldn't get the look of shock on Sakura's face out of his mind. He had let his anger of finding out she had tricked him get the better of him and reacted poorly. A large part of him felt remorseful of doing it to her and now, he had no idea what he could do to repair the situation. Both of them were hot headed and they had a bad history of retaliating when one of them had angered the other. The current situation was the worst of their relationship. Genma had tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen. Mentally he berated himself for being so stupid and not thinking this all the way through. Sitting down on the bench near the pond, Kakashi racked his brain on how he could fix this but could not think of a single thing to repair the now gaping hole in their relationship.

* * *

Sakura had got herself together when the rest of her friends had come to her home. Not wanting to put a damper on the wedding, she put on a brave face and told the bride-to-be that everything would be fine and that they needed to focus on the wedding. Kankuro apologized when he had pulled Sakura aside to talk to her. She took full responsibility for the situation and asked Kankuro to have "Eri" disappear. Sakura was thankful that none of her friends had reminded her that they had warned her of this possibly happening. Throwing herself into helping with the final details for the wedding, she hoped that she would be distracted enough not to think of her tattered love life.

* * *

That evening both Kakashi and Sakura needed to go to the rehearsal dinner. The couple sat on opposite sides of the table, Sakura near the sand siblings and Kakashi near the Nara clan heads. Sakura had tried to speak to Kakashi when he first arrived, but he brushed her off saying that it wasn't the time to do so. He could feel her disappointment as he walked away but told himself that he had to stay firm in his decision.

The rest of the dinner was pure torture for both of them. Kakashi could feel Sakura looking at him from time to time and could feel her regret all the way from the other side of the table. It took all he had not to try to comfort her. He rationalized that if he didn't stay firm, that she would try this again. Much to his irritation, Kankuro had taken the seat next to her. He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as he saw the man trying to comfort his blossom. Even though he knew that they were only friends and that the puppet master probably felt guilty of his over performance, Kakashi wanted to be the one next to her, comforting her. A voice in his head berated him for his stubbornness and warned that he may truly lose her if he wasn't careful.

Sakura couldn't believe the mess she had gotten herself into again. Kakashi wouldn't even talk with her or look her way. Even though she was troubled by the turn of events, she needed to put on a cheerful face due to the wedding. She did not want to ruin her friends' happy day by her stupidity of trying to teach Kakashi a lesson. Earlier, Temari pulled her aside to see how she was feeling and Sakura had to assure her that all was well with her. She told the fan mistress that she knew that Kakashi would come around and all would be well in a few days. Temari reluctantly accepted her reply and did not broach the subject again that night. Sakura could only hope that Kakashi would come around, but knowing how stubborn he could be, deep down she doubted it. Kankuro had apologized again and had sat next to her to try to lighten her mood. She was thankful for his presence and for a short time, took her mind off of the mess she had made.

* * *

The wedding went off without a hitch the next day. Even though the actual ceremony was traditional, Temari insisted that their attire would not be. The whole wedding party was in western wedding attire. Sakura had to laugh when Shikamaru couldn't decide to complain or be thankful for the tux he had to wear. He was never one for formal events, but would do anything for his new bride, even though he would complain about it. Knowing that Temari did not want to be traditional, Sakura was surprised on the dress that she chosen to wear. For a western dress, it was very formal with a good size train behind it. Temari looked stunning wearing it. When the fan mistress walked down the aisle, Shikamaru and the rest of the people in attendance could not keep their eyes off of her. Temari had confided with her that she was nervous about her choice and hoped that her future husband and his family would be pleased with her choice of apparel. By the look in their eyes, Shikamaru and his family approved.

Kakashi wished that he could avoid the whole wedding but as the new hokage, he had an obligation to the Nara clan to attend the ceremony. Unfortunately he was seated in a place of honor next to the immediate family. Tsunade had been asked to preside over the ceremony months before his promotion and he had tactfully declined when the family had spoke to him about taking her place after he had been sworn in as the hokage. The excuse he had used is that he needed some more time to get adjusted to his new position and that he had wanted to observe his predecessor officiate over the event. At the time, he had applauded himself on his smooth words. Sitting next to the family, he had to behave himself and look interested in what was going on, much to his dismay. He could only hope that Tsunade didn't drone on with her part of the ceremony.

When Sakura walked down the aisle, Kakashi's attention was immediately roused. The red evening gown that she wore accentuated her form beautifully. It was hard for him to take his eye off of her. A pang of longing swept through him as he watched her gracefully make her way to the front to join the wedding party. She held his complete attention the entire ceremony. As the monk proceeded with the ceremony, he mentally tried to ready himself for the festivities afterward when Sakura would surely confront him. Mentally he didn't wake from watching her until Tsunade was doing her portion of the ceremony.

"Marriage is a sacred bond between two people, and yours will be doubly so since it binds our two villages together. Love is what has brought the two of you together. Through time you have learned to trust and respect each other. Marriage is your vow to love, trust, and respect each other through any diversity that may come your way," the former hokage said and then staring directly at Kakashi, "Without trust and respect, there cannot be love."

Kakashi squirmed with the last sentence because Tsunade was looking at him when she had said it. He felt that she had directed her comment to him due to the current situation with Sakura. Tsunade did not like the anguish that her apprentice was going through right now, especially since she felt like Sakura was daughter to her. It was Tsunade's way of telling him to fix the situation or to let Sakura go. The blond sannin would not tolerate him being careless with Sakura's feelings for long. Thankfully, Tsunade was not long winded and the ceremony concluded quickly.

At the reception, Kakashi stood a respectable distance away from Sakura but made sure he could watch what she was doing and her choice of dance partners. Much to his surprise, the pink haired medic did not approach him. It seemed like Sakura was avoiding him as much as possible, much to his disappointment. Part of him was hoping that she would approach him. Even though she didn't do so, it did not look like the head medic was enjoying herself very much. She had a fake smile plastered to her face but was more reserved than usual. To someone who didn't know her well, it looked like she was enjoying the party.

Sakura was going out of the way to steer clear of Kakashi at all costs. It was taking all she had not to break down in front of everyone. She could feel his gaze at the ceremony as she stood with the wedding party. Her heart broke as she listened to Tsunade talk about love and commitment. Both of them had taken their love for granted and she had ruined their relationship with her thoughtless plan. She hoped that she could avoid Kakashi at the reception because she would surely lose control of her emotions if he approached her now. Even though she wanted to drink until she couldn't remember the horrible situation she was now in, she didn't dare imbibe in any alcohol because she was sure that she would make a scene.

Thankfully, Kankuro had made it his mission to entertain her at the reception. The puppet master was still feeling guilty about what had happened and was trying to make it up to her. He convinced her to have a couple of drinks to loosen up and she was finally not thinking so much about her personal life.

Much to his dismay, the hokage had to watch as several men dance with the object of his affections. Sakura had loosened up with a couple of cocktails and had started dancing with Kankuro. Soon afterwards, a few men had asked her to dance. Kakashi had to stand by and watch her in their arms. Sasuke and Gaara had stepped in a couple of times to dance with her when a couple of the men became too zealous, but her main partner was Kankuro. Kakashi wished he could step in and separate the two. The puppet master was a little too friendly for his taste.

Soon the evening wore down, and the newly wedded couple said their goodbyes. Sakura was feeling a little tipsy and decided that it was time for her to make her exit before anything dramatic happened. She had said her farewells and had just got out the door when she bumped into Kakashi. A look of panic washed over her as she came face to face with him. She was flustered and couldn't think of anything to say except a mumbled "sorry" before she ran down the street. As she turned away from him, the tears began to flow.

Kakashi watched her scurry away not knowing what to do. Every fiber of his being told him to go comfort her, but his feet would not move. When he finally decided to put an end to this game and started to go after her, he noticed that Kankuro was at her side consoling her. Cursing his indecision, he kicked a stone as he turned to go home in the opposite direction leaving her to be consoled by Kankuro.

Sakura was thankful for Kankuro walking her home after the reception. Her run-in with Kakashi had sent her over the edge and she wasn't thinking straight. The alcohol that she had consumed probably wasn't helping matters, but it was a relief to finally let out all stress and emotion she had been holding in for the past couple of days. As she lay in her bed, she knew she needed to confront Kakashi and talk things out, but she had to get her emotions together so she could have a rational conversation with him. Drifting off to sleep, she was grateful for having such good friends that she could lean on when life became tough. She had made it through the day without making the circumstances worse than it already was.

* * *

The week after wedding was surprisingly busy for Sakura. She had taken the week off to relax and hoped to spend the time with Kakashi. Even though her plans had changed due to the obvious, Kankuro, Ino, and Matsuri had made it their mission to make sure that Sakura enjoyed her week off. Though she hated to admit it, she had relished her time with them. It had been a long time since she could take pleasure in relaxing instead of worrying about her job and personal life.

Kakashi was more than irritated as he watched Sakura spend time with Kankuro during the past week. There always seemed like something of importance that would come up when he tried to make time to speak to her. He couldn't help but wonder if there was a plot to prevent him from talking with her. He mentally questioned the true intentions of the puppet master and suspected that Kankuro secretly wanted to be with her. Needless to say, the hokage was becoming more irritable by the day.

Gaara had wanted to get together to complete some unfinished business before they left for Suna. Kakashi was pleased that he could spend some time getting to know one of their closest allies and to finish some of the treaties that both of them needed to attend to. Personally, it meant that Kankuro would not be back in the village for an extended period of time since their business was now completed, for now. The silver haired hokage could not help but feel pleased that the Suna group would be leaving Konoha soon. He could have the time that he wanted to fix the tattered relationship with Sakura without any interruptions.

At the end of the week, Kakashi had a luncheon scheduled with the Kazekage. The hokage couldn't help but smile as he waited for Gaara to arrive. He enjoyed Gaara's company but could do without his gregarious brother. A knock at the door roused him from his thoughts. "Come in."

"Hello Kakashi," Gaara said as he made his way to the table.

"Hello Gaara," Kakashi said with a smile. The two sat as they were served their lunch. They talked about the treaties they had finalized and small talk about their other allies as they ate.

After a short lull, Gaara asked, "Kakashi, I hate but in, but what are you and Sakura going to do about your relationship?"

Kakashi just stared at the kazekage in shock. The man in front of him was reserved and did not delve into anyone's personal affairs. He knew that Gaara had been a friend of Sakura for years, but didn't know why the reserved man in front of him was suddenly taking an interest in his personal life.

"I normally don't pry in these matters but I feel that I should give you some friendly advice, for what it's worth," the stoic man told Kakashi. "Sakura is a very beautiful and intelligent woman. She loves you dearly and has said so on many occasions. I do not agree with some of her choices, but I know she does let her emotions cloud her decisions when she becomes distraught."

The kazekage shifted uncomfortably in his chair and took a moment to collect himself. It was obvious to Kakashi that he wasn't at ease with the conversation Gaara was now having with him.

"Kakashi, you need to decide if you truly want to be with her or not. If you do, you need to know that there is a long list of men, including my brother, that are seriously interested in her. You do not have a long period of time before one of them steps up to persuade her to be with them and not with you. As a friend to both of you, I felt it was my duty to broach the subject," Gaara smiled wryly, "Also my wife persuaded me to talk to you about it.'

Both laughed. "Thank you for your concern," Kakashi said sincerely, "I will consider what you have said and will make a decision quickly for both of our sakes."

With a nod, the kazekage stood to leave. Both men bowed and parted ways. Kakashi walked to the windows overlooking the village to ponder what he already knew. If he lingered too long he could lose the one thing that mattered the most – Sakura.


End file.
